Tension prevailed in Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district after violence broke out at a Hanuman Jayanthi procession in Holgaunda village, leading to stone pelting in which some were injured. The police have said that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) led a procession on Saturday, April 16, and things took a violent turn when the procession stopped in front of a mosque there.
According to the police, around 7 pm, the procession halted in front of a mosque — the ‘Pedda’ Masjid — for an unusually long time. Loud music was being played during the procession, and when the procession did not move ahead, the police asked the VHP members in the procession to lower the volume of the music. However, people in the procession began to raise chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram.’
In response, people from the Muslim community who were at the spot also started raising slogans of “Allah-hu-Akbar,” the police said. Seeing the issue escalate, the police then decided to disperse the crowd and ordered the VHP procession to move on. As the crowd started walking on, VHP members switched on the loudspeakers again. This set off an altercation between the two groups, which then escalated into violence. Stones were pelted by both groups at one another, leading to injuries.
Visuals from the incident that have surfaced on social media show people running through a street in the town, shouting and pelting stones at one another. Some people have been injured in the incident. Broken glass bottles and other articles were also seen littered across the streets.
A communal clash was reported in Holagunda of Kurnool. Stone pelting during #HanumanJayanti Shobha Yatra. Police impose section 144 in the town. Situation under control. #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/2BI4YNGlD9
— Aashish (@KP_Aashish) April 17, 2022
According to police, the stone-pelting went on for about 10-15 minutes, and about 15 people from both sides sustained minor injuries. Following the incident, the Alur police have taken 20 people into custody and are investigating the matter further, they said, adding that the situation in Halagonda is now under control.
Cases are being registered against those who indulged in stone-pelting, the police said, adding that some people could be identified clearly based on the visuals. The police clarified that there is no curfew in place in the village, but police deployment and security measures have been stepped up in view of the tension.
In addition to Andhra Pradesh, violence also broke out in New Delhi during a Hanuman Jayanthi procession. Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with the violence during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri, police said on Sunday. They said there was stone-pelting and some vehicles were also torched during the clashes between two communities on Saturday evening. A senior official said a police sub-inspector received a bullet injury during the violence. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Usha Rangnani said an FIR was registered Saturday under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 147 (rioting) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.