- Two groups hurled stones at each other during Ganesh procession in Vadodara
- Security was beefed up and heavy police force was deployed
- An FIR has been filed after the incident
Tension prevailed in Gujarat’s Vadodara after members of two communities clashed and threw stones at each other when a procession carrying an idol of Lord Ganesh was passing through a sensitive locality on Monday night.
Heavy police was deployed in the area to bring the law and order situation under control and the idol was taken to the pandal peacefully.
Meanwhile, an FIR was registered at Vadodara city police station against members of both sides on charges of rioting and unlawful assembly, police said. The police have so far detained 13 people in connection with the clash which broke out late Monday night, news agency PTI reported. No one was injured in the stone pelting.
The FIR was registered under various Indian Penal Code Sections including 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 336 (rash act endangering human life or personal safety), 295 (defiling place of worship), the official said.
The members of the two communities pelted each other with stones after an argument broke out between them over some issue when the Ganesh procession was passing through Panigate Darwaza in the communally sensitive Mandvi locality at around 11.15 pm, a city police official said.
Police presence in the area was enhanced and patrolling was being carried out to maintain law and order, he said.
Joint Commissioner of Police Chirag Koradia told reporters that the situation is under control and peaceful and the crime branch is carrying out an investigation into the incident. Police have appealed to the people not to pay attention to any kind of rumours.