A fundraising procession organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad turned violent on Sunday evening in a village in Gandhidham taluka of the border district of Kutch after incidents of sloganeering and stone pelting.
The incident occurred in a village near Gandhidham city.
Kutch SP (East) Mayur Patil told THE WEEK that the scuffle happened after sloganeering and stone pelting. “We are investigating,” he said, replying to a question whether sloganeering in the procession led to stone pelting.
Initial reports indicated that one autorickshaw was set ablaze.
Patil said that they had provided bandobast, but the incident occurred as few two-wheelers went ahead of the bandobast.
Police, reportedly, also had to lob teargas shells.
According to Patil, no serious injury has been reported.
Reports also indicate that communal tension erupted in Sadau village of Mundra taluka of Kutch during the VHP procession. No party has so far filed a complaint.
The VHP has been organising fundraising events across the country for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Gujarat has been in the forefront of the Ramjanmboomi Temple movement ever since the days when Dr. Pravin Togadia was the international general secretary of the rightwing outfit.
