Stone pelting during Ganesh idol immersion sparks communal tension in MP's Burhanpur, 3 hurt

Burhanpur, Sep 8 (IANS) Communal tension flared in Madhya Pradesh's Burhanpur district late on Sunday night after a Ganesh idol immersion procession was reportedly targeted with stones, injuring three persons.

Police officials said that the situation was brought under control following the deployment of a heavy security force and a flag march in the area.

At least three people were injured in the incident, and they have been admitted to the district hospital.

The incident occurred at Pratima village, about 20 km from the district headquarters, at around 10 p.m., when a procession was moving towards a local river for the immersion of Lord Ganesha idols. As the procession passed through Pathani Mohalla, an unidentified group of people began pelting stones, leading to a tense standoff between the two communities.

Three individuals were injured and immediately shifted to the district hospital for treatment.

The incident led to communal tension in the area as a large number of people from both communities gathered.

Senior administrative officials, including Additional Collector Veer Singh Chouhan and Additional Superintendent of Police Antar Singh Kanesh, rushed to the scene to bring the situation under control.

A senior police official confirmed that the situation is now peaceful but that a substantial security presence remains in the area.

The spot where the incident occurred has been declared a prohibited zone, and a flag march was carried out late in the night to prevent further escalation.

"Although the situation is currently under control, a significant police presence has been deployed. Investigations into the incident are ongoing, and CCTV footage is being scrutinised to identify those responsible," a senior police official told reporters on Monday.

Burhanpur MLA Archana Chitnis visited the site, interacted with locals, and appealed to them not to engage in violence.

She remained there until early Monday morning, considering the tense situation. The senior BJP leader stated that some anti-social elements attempted to disturb law and order and create communal tension.

"In Burhanpur, we usually celebrate all festivals peacefully, and people have no issues with each other’s festivities. Unfortunately, yesterday a regrettable incident occurred during the immersion of Lord Ganesha’s idol, when stone pelting created a tense situation in the village," Chitnis told IANS on Monday.

She further said that a similar incident had taken place last year as well.

"Last year, when stones were pelted during the immersion of Ganesh idols, I had demanded that those responsible be punished. That did not happen. The government must take strict action to prevent any such incidents in the future," she said.

--IANS

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