The Pune police detained several people and clamped prohibitory orders at Yavat village in the district on Friday, after a communal flare-up triggered by a social media post led to mobs vandalising vehicles, shops and other properties.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said a social media post by a person who was not from the village about another community fuelled tensions. Police had to resort to lathi charge to control the mob, he said.
"The situation is under control; both communities are sitting together and trying to resolve the issue," said Fadnavis. Authorities will take strong action against anyone trying to incite trouble, he warned. While the social media post was "objectionable", it did not give anyone the right to "take the law into their own hands", the CM said.
Yavat was already reeling under tensions after a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was vandalised by a youth from the minority community a few days back. While the youth was arrested, tensions that lingered erupted Friday over the social media post by another youth. An irate mob set fire to a bakery and vandalised several shops and tried to attack the house of the youth who had put up the social media post. A mob also allegedly vandalised a place of worship. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who is also Pune's guardian minister, visited the village later in the day and met residents. "We have brought in a state reserve police force team to station here. There was a mob of 30 to 40 people. However, the situation has been brought under control," Pawar said.
The youth who posted the objectionable message hailed from Nanded and was living in Yavat for the past few years, he said.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said a social media post by a person who was not from the village about another community fuelled tensions. Police had to resort to lathi charge to control the mob, he said.
"The situation is under control; both communities are sitting together and trying to resolve the issue," said Fadnavis. Authorities will take strong action against anyone trying to incite trouble, he warned. While the social media post was "objectionable", it did not give anyone the right to "take the law into their own hands", the CM said.
Yavat was already reeling under tensions after a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was vandalised by a youth from the minority community a few days back. While the youth was arrested, tensions that lingered erupted Friday over the social media post by another youth. An irate mob set fire to a bakery and vandalised several shops and tried to attack the house of the youth who had put up the social media post. A mob also allegedly vandalised a place of worship. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who is also Pune's guardian minister, visited the village later in the day and met residents. "We have brought in a state reserve police force team to station here. There was a mob of 30 to 40 people. However, the situation has been brought under control," Pawar said.
The youth who posted the objectionable message hailed from Nanded and was living in Yavat for the past few years, he said.
