Communal tensions gripped Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's hometown Jodhpur hours before Eid on Tuesday, prompting the authorities to suspend mobile internet services and impose a curfew in 10 police stations areas of the city. So far, 97 people have been arrested in the case. After clashes, the Congress accused the BJP of spreading hatred in poll-bound states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has "unleashed a sinister and hateful agenda" in Rajasthan as also in the other election going states of Gujarat, Himachal, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.
Here are today's top developments:
- Communal tensions gripped Rajasthan's Jodhpur hours before Eid today, prompting the authorities to suspend mobile internet services and impose a curfew in 10 police stations areas of the city.
- Rajasthan Minister of State for Home Rajendra Yadav said over 50 people have been arrested in connection with the incident so far. The chief minister has appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony.
- The Jodhpur deputy commissioner of police issued orders imposing a curfew till May 4 midnight besides suspending mobile internet services.
- Tensions broke out past midnight over putting up of Islamic flags on the Jalori gate circle, which led to stone pelting in which five policemen were injured.
- The situation was brought under control in the early hours on Tuesday with heavy deployment of police but tensions escalated again in the morning after prayers at an Eidgah. Shops, vehicles and houses were pelted with stones near the Jalori gate area.
- Members of a minority community were installing Eid flags and they put up a flag on a roundabout alongside the statue of freedom fighter Balmukund Bissa. This led to a confrontation as members of the other community alleged that a saffron flag, which they had put up there ahead of Parshuram Jayanti, had gone missing.
- The issue snowballed into stone pelting and clashes, officials said. Police rushed to the spot to control the situation during which five policemen were injured, the police control room said. Police had to lob tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
- Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot in a tweet urged people to maintain peace and called the incident unfortunate. "While respecting the tradition of love and brotherhood of Jodhpur, Marwar, I make a touching appeal to all parties to maintain peace and cooperate in restoring law and order," he said.
- The chief minister said leaders of all political parties should ask their workers to maintain peace and they all should remain united.
- Gehlot also chaired a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister's office to review the situation. He asked ministers Rajendra Yadav and Subhash Garg, and two officers to go to Jodhpur by helicopter.
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