A curfew was imposed in Kawardha town of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday after violence broke out during a rally taken out by right-wing outfits and attended by a BJP MP, leading the police to resort to lathicharge to control the situation, officials said.
According to the officials, some policemen sustained minor injuries while dispersing a mob which pelted stones at houses and shops and ransacked some vehicles.
No civilian was injured and around 40 people were detained after the incident, the officials said.
They said no permission was given by the administration for the rally which was taken out two days after a clash broke out between people belonging to two communities over removal of religious flags from a thoroughfare in the town, the headquarters of Kabirdham district located around 126 km from state capital Raipur.
The curfew was imposed at around 11:30 am as soon as the violence broke out during the rally taken out by right-wing organisations but within half an hour, the situation was brought under control, Kabirdham Collector Ramesh Sharma said.
As soon as the rally entered areas inhabited largely by people belonging to another community, it turned violent. The mob pelted stones at houses and shops and ransacked vehicles parked on the road, he said.
Miscreants tried to enter some houses but they were prevented by police personnel who were deployed in large numbers in view of the prohibitory orders imposed in the town, the officer said.
Social media is filled with visuals from the ground with people criticising the event and the miscreants. Criticism is also pouring in for CM Bhupesh Baghel.
Here's what people are saying. Have a look. (Trigger warning: violence)
With inputs from PTI.
