Days after stones were thrown at a Ganesh pandal in Surat, Bharuch city in Gujarat experienced a violent clash between two religious communities, according to police reports. The confrontation, which occurred Tuesday night, stemmed from a dispute over the installation of religious flags in a local area.
Mayur Chavda, Bharuch’s Superintendent of Police, reported that an altercation took place in the Gokul Nagar area, involving individuals from two different faiths. Police were quickly dispatched to the scene and managed to disperse the mobs. The violence resulted in two injuries from stone-pelting, and several vehicles were damaged. An FIR has been filed based on a complaint from one community, leading to the detention of 17 individuals from the opposing side. A total of 20 people are named in the FIR.
In Surat, the second-largest city in Gujarat, tensions had earlier flared when stones were thrown by six minors at a Lord Ganesha pandal in the Saydepura area on Sunday night. The minors were detained, and 27 adults were arrested in connection with the incident. To restore order, police used lathi charges and teargas, deploying approximately 1,000 security personnel to manage the situation and maintain law and order in the city’s diamond district.