Raipur, Chhattisgarh – On the festival of Holi, a group of Muslim youths in Krishna Nagar, Rampur Chowk, Gudhiyari, created a commotion after tearing posters of Lord Shiva and Mahapuran and burning them in front of a mosque. The incident, which took place on March 7, 2023, has caused widespread anger and unrest in the area.
The police immediately took action and arrested seven people in connection with the incident, including Mohammad Sameer Khan (18), M. Shahid Khan (19), and five other minors. They have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, defiling a place of worship, and causing deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs.
Speaking to the media, the police officials said that the accused were identified through CCTV footage and eye-witness accounts. “The accused have admitted to their crime during interrogation and have been remanded in judicial custody,” a police official said.
The incident has sparked outrage among the locals, with many demanding strict action against the accused. “This is an act of religious intolerance and should not be tolerated in a secular country like India,” said one of the residents of the area.
The incident has also drawn criticism from political leaders across the spectrum. “Such incidents are an assault on the cultural and religious fabric of our country. The guilty must be punished severely,” said a senior leader of a national political party.
The police have assured that they will take all necessary measures to maintain peace and harmony in the area. “We have deployed additional forces to ensure that there are no further incidents of this nature,” said a police official.
