Houses of accused in MP clashes razed, probe on

BHOPAL: Authorities in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone city on Monday arrested 84 people and demolished 50 structures owned by men accused of stoking violence during a Ram Navmi procession the day before, triggering allegations that the administration was bypassing legal due process.

Violence broke out on Sunday evening as a Ram Navmi procession made its way past a mosque. In the ensuing stone pelting and clashes that lasted three hours, at least a dozen houses, vehicles and shops were burnt and 27 people were injured, said police. Collector Anugraha P clamped a curfew across the city on Monday.

On Monday, the administration also demolished 45 structures – homes and shops -- saying they were illegally built and citing orders by chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

“Those who pelted stones and created the ruckus will not be spared and their houses will be turned into ruins. No one will be allowed to create disturbance in the state,” state home minister Narottam Mishra said.

“In Madhya Pradesh, we have passed the Prevention of Damage to Public and Private Property and Recovery of Damage Law. The rioters of Khargone will not only be punished, but the damages will also be recovered from them. The state government is setting up a claims tribunal,” Chouhan said.

Images of houses and shops being razed by bulldozers were beamed by television channels for most of the day, strengthening the perception that CM Chouhan was attempting to take a more strident law-and-order stand.

His counterpart in UP, Yogi Adityanath, leveraged his toughon-crime image to a historic assembly election victory last month. Bulldozers were often parked outside his election rallies to drive home the point that “bulldozer baba” — as local BJP leaders called him — was unsparing to criminals.

Khargone district collector Anugraha P said, “The illegal constructed houses included constructed on the government land and without building permission have been demolished.”

But local residents said the violence began as objectionable songs were played near the mosque.

Local resident Dhannalal Panwar said, “The procession was present near Talab Chowk. A few people came and raised objections against the procession. Later, a large number of people came and started abusing us. They threatened us with dire consequences and also create destruction at our houses.”