Following the Bharatiya Janata Party-sponsored bandh, 50 people have been arrested for the violence that erupted in Maharashtra’s Amravati town, news agency PTI reported.
The saffron party had called the bandh to protest against the violence that broke out in Nashik, Amravati, and Nanded on 12 November, during the state-wide demonstrations and rallies by Raza Academy and several other Muslim organizations.
According to Indian Express, the police have reportedly registered 26 FIRs, 15 for the violence on Saturday, and 11 for Friday incidents.
Former Maharashtra agriculture minister Anil Bonde, MLC Pravin Pote, and Amravati rural BJP president Nivedita Chaudhari have been detained for the BJP rally, PTI reported. Meanwhile, eight BJP activists have been detained in Warud and Shendurjanaghat villages for raising slogans.
The shops owned by the minority Muslim community were targeted during the rally on Saturday, the Indian Express quoted officials as saying
Talking to the media, a police officer said that activists of the BJP, Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had gathered at Rajkamal Chowk and turned violent, burning shops.
“Almost all the victims are from the minority community. It appears that the violence had been planned a day in advance in retaliation for the violence on Friday by some members of the minority community,” the official told Express.
Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Sunday said that curfew has been imposed for four days.
There were minor clashes on Saturday night between the two communities despite heavy police presence, according to The Indian Express.
The district guardian minister Yashomati Thakur said that the situation in Amravati town, however was peaceful on Sunday, with eight battalions of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) and many police personnel deployed in the city.
The police took out a march on Sunday evening in sensitive areas of Amravati city, Thakur further told the media.
(With inputs from PTI and The Indian Express.)
