Moving quickly in an incident of communal violence that broke out on Sunday during the Ram Navami procession in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district, the police have so far arrested 77 persons involved in stone pelting, setting fire to public-private properties and creating a ruckus.
In a joint operation by the district administration and the police, several buildings were bulldozed in the Khargone city area where the incidents took place. Nearly half-a-dozen JCB machines (bulldozers) started demolishing the illegal buildings of rioters.
The action came soon after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan held a meeting with Direction General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Kumar Saxena and other top bureaucrats including the chief secretary and the principal secretary of the state home department in Bhopal on Monday.
"No place for rioters in MP. Rioters have been identified, who will not only be put behind bars, but damage to properties will be recovered from them. The MP government has enacted a law to recover damages to public and private properties. A Claim Tribunal is being constituted. The loss caused by rioters to properties will be ascertained and recovered from identified rioters," Chouhan said after the meeting, adding that he has ordered immediate action in the matter.
The buildings were demolished amidst heavy police presence with the area cordoned off and Section 144 being imposed in the city.
While the administrative and police action against the rioters continued in the areas where violence occurred, politics also heated up in the state. Senior Congress leader and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh held the Khargone district administration and the police responsible for the violence.
The Congress leaders questioned the demolition of the buildings, arguing that action should have been taken only after an investigation into the matter. "Is it fair to punish everyone by finding them guilty without investigation?" Digvijaya Singh said.
Singh raised questions about the presence of BJP leader Kapil Mishra in Khargone on Sunday when the incident took place and has demanded an inquiry about his visit to the state. Mishra was on a day's visit to Khargone district.
Hitting back at Singh, Kapil Mishra said that people like him (Digvijaya) have started spreading lies to save those who are responsible for the violence in Khargone. "One who called Kasab a Hindu again started spreading lies. There was no riot where I was. And yes, if the investigation is done then only the name of a jihadi and a Congressman hiding behind him will come out in every riot."
Congress leader and MLA from Khargone city Ravi Joshi who visited the spot on Monday, has welcomed the state government's action against the rioters and has demanded an independent probe into the matter. He said the presence of BJP leader Kapil Mishra in Khargone and the violence were not just a coincidence but it indicates a pre-planned conspiracy. Talking to IANS Joshi said, "Being the MLA of Khargone city, I visited the spot and took stock of the situation, meeting senior police officials and also administrative officials of Khargone. I welcome the state government's action against rioters, but the presence of Kapil Mishra should be investigated."
Meanwhile, state home minister Narottam Mishra talking to a reporter in Bhopal said, "Jis ghar se pathar aae hai, us ghar ko hi patharo kaa dher banaenge (the house where the stones came from will be turned into a pile of stones itself)."
According to the police, a clash broke out near Talab Chowk mosque when some people opposed the provocative songs being played during the procession. Videos of the incident showed a mob pelting stones at the mosque and the homes close to it. The police are seen dispersing the mob.
When the incident happened, BJP leader Kapil Mishra was in Khargone to attend the Shriram Janmotsav Shobha Yatra procession. Sharing photos on Twitter, he wrote, "Na Musa na Burhan, Bas Jai Shree Ram. Hamari Ram Navami yatra Khargone, Madhya Pradesh, me shuru."