Vehicles torched, stones pelted as 2 groups clash outside temple in Maha’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A fight broke out between two men outside a Ram temple in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s Kiradpura area in Maharashtra on Wednesday night.

The matter escalated when more people reached the spot and started pelting stones at each other, police said, adding that the mob also set several public and police vehicles on fire outside the temple.

Four people were injured in the clash and they have been discharged from hospital. Police officials reached the spot and brought the situation under control. Tear gas shells were fired to disperse the crowd.

Three fire brigade vehicles also reached the spot to extinguish the vehicles that were torched. More police personnel were deployed in the area and security was beefed up to prevent untoward incidents.

“A clash broke out between two groups in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s Kiradpura area. Stones were pelted, some private and police vehicles were set on fire. Police used force to disperse the people and now the situation is peaceful. Police will take strict action against the miscreants,” Nikhil Gupta, CP, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, told news agency ANI.

AIMIM’s National Corporator Mohammed Naseeruddin shared a video on Twitter and said Aurangabad MP Imtiaz Jaleel went to the Ram temple following which false news was spread that some miscreants had attacked the temple.

“We have removed all miscreants using police force and right now, the situation is under control. I appeal to people to stay calm,” Nikhil Gupta said.

Commenting on the clash, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said, “Tension is being created. The Uddhav Thackeray camp is not behind all this ruckus, duplicate Shiv Sena is doing this. The home minister of Maharashtra should know who is behind all this.”