Several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were arrested on Monday in connection with the violence that erupted in Maharashtra’s Amravati cit...
Several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were arrested on Monday in connection with the violence that erupted in Maharashtra’s Amravati city during a shutdown observed by the party on Saturday, The Indian Express reported.
The arrested persons were former Maharashtra minister Anil Bonde, Amravati Mayor Chetan Gavande, the district BJP chief Nivedita Choudhary and Amravati Municipal Corporation leader of house Tushar Bharatiya, according to ANI. Officials are also searching for BJP MLC from Amravati, Praveen Pote, who is reportedly missing.
The BJP had observed the shutdown on Saturday in response to a protest staged by a Muslim organisation on Friday against the recent communal violence in Tripura. The protestors had allegedly thrown stones at BJP leader Pravin Pote’s home.
During the bandh, shops owned by Muslims were targeted. Reports also emerged of a dargah and a temple being attacked in Amravati on Saturday.
“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,” an unidentified police officer had told The Indian Express.
A total of 14 people were arrested on Monday in connection with the violence in Amravati, according to the Hindustan Times. They were booked for inciting violence and illegal gathering. However, a court granted them bail in the evening.
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