A curfew was imposed and Internet services snapped in the Nuh district of India's Haryana state on Tuesday following clashes that erupted between two groups on Monday night.
Local police have registered 11 first information reports (FIRs) in connection with the violent clashes, while 27 people have been detained.
Internet services have been suspended in the district until Wednesday. There will also be no Internet service available in the Sohna, Pataudi, and Manesar areas.
Schools and colleges in the district as well as neighbouring cities, including Faridabad, have been shut in light of the violence.
Meanwhile, talking to the media, Haryana's Home Minister Anil Vij said the situation was under control. He explained that the curfew was imposed in the district to prevent further escalation of tensions and to maintain the law and order situation in the district.
“Both communities have been staying in Nuh peacefully for a long time. There is a conspiracy behind this. The way stones, weapons, bullets were found, it seems there is a mastermind behind this. We will conduct a detailed investigation and take strict actions against the people involved in this”, the state home minister stated.
However, the communal tensions started from Nuh and spread to neighbouring Gurugram, as a man was killed and a mosque set ablaze.
Haryana State Chief, Others Appeal for Peace
Since clashes broke out on Monday, Haryana state chief Manohar Lal Khattar and members of other political parties have appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony in the state.
Assuring “strict action” against those responsible for the violence, Khattar in a tweet in Hindi said: “Today's incident is unfortunate. I appeal to all the people to maintain peace in the state. The guilty will not be spared at any cost, and the strictest action will be taken against them”.
He also stated that citizens should cooperate in the interest of the state by following the principle of “Haryana Ek Haryanvi Ek” ("United Haryana, United People of Haryana").
Apart from Khattar, Congress politician and former state chief Bhupinder Singh Hooda also called on everyone to maintain peace and brotherhood.
Congress legislator from Nuh Aftab Ahmed and former legislator Zakir Hussain also requested that people maintain peace and brotherhood.
Federal Minister Rao Inderjit Singh, who is a parliamentarian from Gurugram, also appealed to people of all sections to maintain peace, saying that the residents of Mewat have always set an example of brotherhood and that anyone who disturbs this will not be spared.
What Triggered Violence in Nuh?
Violence erupted in Nuh after a mob stopped a religious procession known as “Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra” by Vishwa Hindu Parishad by pelting stones and setting cars on fire.
The procession was flagged off from Gurugram and was stopped by a mob near Khedla Mod in Nuh. Some people in the procession also pelted stones on the mob which was stopping the procession.
As tensions worsened, the authorities swiftly imposed prohibitory orders to restrict the gathering of people in the district as well as in neighbouring Gurugram.
So far, a total of five people, including two Home Guards, have died due to the violence, while several people, including police personnel, have been injured.
At least 120 vehicles, including several belonging to the police, have been damaged in the violence.