'Efforts being made to provoke ...': What Muslim leaders said about Nagpur violence and police probe

Nagpur violence

Members of the Muslim community in Nagpur believe that timely action by police could have prevented the violence, and urged the government to conduct an impartial probe into the case.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the community members said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should meet representatives of both communities in a bid to establish peace.

“Efforts are being made to provoke the Muslim community through various means in the last two to three years. A minister has been continuously raising the topic of Aurangzeb. The Muslim community has no connection to Aurangzeb and has remained calm,” Dr Mohammad Awes Hasan said at the press conference.

He alleged that right-wing outfits burnt a ‘chadar’ with Islamic verses on it which prompted members of the Muslim community to approach the police demanding action against them. "However, when police did not take any step, some of them became agitated," he said.

Some people from the community hailed police efforts to restore normalcy but also raised concerns over innocent people being targeted.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra State Minorities Commission chief Pyare Khan also held a meeting on Thursday with police commissioner and district collector, and urged police to take no action against innocent persons.

He also asked the administration to relax curfew in Mominpura and nearby localities as Ramzan is underway and business was being affected.

Police have booked Fahim Khan, the key accused in the violence, and five others on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media, as per police. Curfew was lifted or relaxed in parts of the city three days after the violence.