Mumbai: The Hindutva brigade associated with ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has burnt shops belonging to Muslims in Amravati in Indian state of Maharashtra.
Several shops belonging to Muslims were burnt during a shutdown observed by the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Amravati city. The BJP observed the strike in response to a protest staged by a Muslim organisation on Friday against the recent communal violence in Tripura.
The authorities imposed a four-day curfew and suspended internet services in the city. Over 6,000 members of the Hindutva brigade assembled at Rajkamal Chowk in Amravati on BJP leader Pravin Pote’s instructions. The crowd turned violent, burnt shops, damaged some other shops and burnt vehicles belonging to Muslims, a police officer told the media.
Almost all the victims are from the Muslim community. It appears that the violence had been planned, he said. One of the Muslim shops burnt during the violence had been running since 1970 and it belonged to a man named Shadab Khan. “Now that my shop is gone, I have suffered a loss of Rs 13 lakh and lost my life’s earnings. The Hindu mob also stole electronic items from my shop.”
Feroze Ahmed, another businessman, said that the “police were watching as my shop was burnt”. He said he suffered a loss of Rs 8 lakh. “The mob also burnt three vehicles of my customers parked in front of my shop” he added. He blamed Pote, the BJP leader, for his loss. “I told police to make him an accused in the case,” Ahmed said. “He was the one who organised the morcha. Hindutva workers also attacked a dargah on Saturday, according to the media reports. Web Desk
