Three killed in communal violence in Narsinghgarh town in Madhya Pradesh

On Hanuman Jayanti, the Narsinghgarh town witnessed violence that left one dead and over a dozen getting injured. Nearly 50 shops were set afire by a rampaging mob. Two bodies were later recovered on Tuesday.

The trouble began when the procession on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti was reportedly stoned when it was passing the Ramkund locality. The stone pelting resulted in injuries to some persons in the afternoon. Shoot at sight orders have been issued.

Subsequently, tension gripped the town. The communities had a confrontation. Police used force and tear gas to control the rampaging mob. One person, Sadeep Bairagi, was killed. Though it was reported that police fired at the mob but it could not be officially confirmed. Narsinhgarh has witnessed communal riots in the past as well.

It is located in the communally ultra-sensitive Rajgarh district in the Malwa region. The Rajgarh district had recently witnessed a clash in Biaora town and also communal tension had gripped Sarangpur. The entire region has been put on high alert.

The towns in Rajgarh have a mixed population with large Muslim population in urban areas of the region. The local MLA was an activist of Bajrang Dal in the past. Besides, Hindu-Muslim tension is not a new thing in Rajgarh district, that borders on Malwa and Bhopal regions.
Senior officials have rushed to Narsinhgarh and more police force has been sent. SAF and STF has also been rushed to the town. The situation remains tense but under control, an official told the media persons. Madhya Pradesh is witnessing communal violence across the state despite the fact that it was always considered a peaceful state and free of communal violence.

Curfew was imposed later in the evening. IGP reached the town by night. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh has said that stern action would be taken against the troublemakers. Narsingarh was a princely state before independence.