Nagpur (TDI): Authorities clamped indefinite curfew on parts of the Indian city of Nagpur after more than a dozen police officers were injured in clashes sparked by a Hindu group’s demand for the removal of the tomb of 17th-century Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, police said on Tuesday.
Monday’s violence in Nagpur damaged many vehicles and wounded several people, among them at least 15 police personnel, one of whom was in critical condition.
Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of the western state of Maharashtra, where the city is located, criticized the violence in a video message, urging for every effort to maintain law and order.
“I have told the police commissioner to take whatever strict measures are necessary,” Fadnavis added.
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Members of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) group burnt an effigy of the Emperor Aurangzeb and his tomb as they chanted slogans calling for its removal from the nearby city of Aurangabad, according to a police statement.
The situation escalated after several members of Muslim groups marched near a police station and threw stones at police, Reuters reported.
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The attackers, masked to hide their identity, carried sharp weapons and bottles.
The VHP denied allegations of engaging in any violence. It wants the tomb to be replaced with a memorial for local Maratha community rulers, according to its general secretary, Milind Parande.
