HVK Archives: Infuriated by desecration, Nashik dalits storm mosque
Infuriated by desecration, Nashik dalits storm mosque - The Asian Age
Posted By Krishnakant Udavant (kkant@202.54.1.1)
19 July 1997
Title: Infuriated by desecration, Nashik dalits storm mosque
Author:
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: July 19, 1997
Apparently piqued over the desecration of a statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar
in the Ganjma area of central Nashik, dalit activists painted a derogatory
portrait and pelted stones on two mosques while damaging scores of vehicle
belonging to a particular community here on Friday.
This unprecedented attack occurred at 6.30 am and surprised the early
morning namaz-goers who promptly caught one of the miscreants, named Salve.
He was beaten up when he was caught pelting stones at Shahi Masjid and
Helbawdi Masjid. Salve come on a Yamaha motorcycle and threw stones at the
masjid, sources told The Asian Age.
The Bhadrakali police maintained that no arrests have been made and refused
to divulge more information.
The angry mob also damaged the windows of a hotel and a petrol pump. They
also damaged the name plates of a few shops and pelted stones on some houses.
Going to the heart of the issue, reliable sources told The Asian Age that a
particular leader, who used to be a corporator and who lost the recent NMC
polls" was behind the attack. The people belonging to a particular
community laid rejected his candidature and elected another person from
Khedkali ward. To avenge his defeat and taking advantage of the "statue
defacing mania," the leaders followers allegedly desecrated the statue and
raised a cry.
Everything appeared pre-planned as the mob was awake throughout the night
and made a blitz attack in the morning. The faces of the mobsters appeared
flushed and eyes were red-shot at the scene in the morning, sources said.
Eye-witnesses told The Asian Age that the mob smashed the wind-screen of a
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited bus and 40 cars and 19 trucks in Ghas Bazar,
Ganjmal, Sarda Circle, Dudh Bazar area,
Although the police were keeping a tight vigil on the situation, a tense
atmosphere was apparent. Friday being the Id-e-Milad festival, a massive
juloos (procession) was being taken out by the Muslim community.
According to the police, activists of the Republican Party of India were
tipped off by a woman about the desecration.
Extra police forces were deployed to maintain law and order.
Chief Minister Manohar Joshi on Friday alleged the Opposition tried to
politicise the incidents following the desecration of Dr B.R Ambedkar's
statue in North-East Mumbai recently. Speaking at a function organised by
the Akhil Bharatiya Matang Sangh to commemorate the 28th death anniversary
of "Lokshahir" Annabhau Sathe here, Mr Joshi urged dalits not to fall prey
to such "nefarious designs." "Their (the Opposition's) demand for
imposition of President's rule in the state is to meet narrow political
ends through the sad incident," he lamented. (PTI)
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