Nagpur Violence: Muslim leaders demanded a fair investigation, and said- action should not be taken against innocent people

Members of the Muslim community in Nagpur have condemned the violence in Vidarbha's largest city. They have demanded a fair probe into the incident. They claimed that the incident could have been averted had the police taken timely action.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Muslim leaders said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should meet representatives of both communities to establish peace. On Monday evening, there were reports of large-scale stone-pelting and arson in several parts of Nagpur. The mayhem started when rumors spread that a chaadar with holy inscriptions was being burnt during a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) protest demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb.

"In the past two or three years, several attempts have been made to incite the Muslim community. A minister is constantly raising the issue of Aurangzeb. The Muslim community has no connection with Aurangzeb and they are peaceful," Dr Mohammed Owais Hasan said at the press conference.

They alleged that right-wing organizations burnt chaadar with Islamic verses on it, following which people from the Muslim community approached the police and demanded action against them. However, when the police did not take any action, some of them got agitated.

Some of those who spoke at the press conference appreciated the efforts made by the police to restore normalcy but alleged that some innocent people were arrested as part of the investigation into the violence. Meanwhile, Maharashtra State Minority Commission chief Pyare Khan held a meeting on Thursday, which was attended by the police commissioner and district collector, among others. He urged the police that no action should be taken against innocent persons.

He asked the administration to relax the curfew in Mominpura and surrounding areas as Ramzan is underway and businesses are getting affected. 33 policemen, including three DCP-rank officers, were injured in Monday's violence.

According to the police, a case has been registered against the main accused of the violence, Faheem Khan, and five others for sedition and spreading misinformation on social media. Three days after the violence, the curfew was lifted or relaxed in some parts of the city.