The Opposition parties have condemned the communal violence in Vadodara in Gujarat. Pointing fingers at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Government in the State, the parties demanded measures be taken to curb violence in the city.
The Congress wanted the State Government to provide the details of action taken to curb the violence. “What is the current situation in the city? What are the measures taken by the State and Central Governments? The Government must provide all the details,” Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar told reporters here on Monday.
The party fears that the violence is aimed at creating communal tension, with an eye on the Maharashtra elections.
The CPI(M) said the incidents of communal violence in Gujarat had increased since the Lok Sabha elections.
“We condemn the communal violence in Vadodara,” CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said. “Incidents of communal riots have increased since the Lok Sabha elections. The Government should punish the guilty and take strict action on the culprits,” he told Business Line .
Meanwhile, security was tightened in Vadodara with two more companies of State Reserve Police Force being deployed following fresh violence reported from one of the city areas where communal clashes occurred over the last three days, the police said in Vadodara on Monday.
Communal violence had erupted in Yakutpura, Panjrapole, Fatehpura and Kumbharvada in the city on Thursday after some alleged derogatory posts about a religion were put on social networking site ‘Facebook.’
On Friday, some minor incidents were reported with the police lobbing teargas shells to disperse two rival groups who pelted stones at each other in Yakutpura, Panjrapole, Fatehpura, Kumbharvada and other areas in the walled city.
The situation remained normal during the day on Sunday, but a stabbing incident was reported from Jagmalni Pole area at night, Vadodara City Joint Police Commissioner DJ Patel said on Monday.