Stones were pelted at a procession of Ganesha murti passing through a Muslim majority area in Gujarat. The tempo carrying the murti was pelted with stones and 13 persons were detained by police. After police lathi-charged the stone pelters the murti was taken to the pandal safely.

On August 29, a procession of Ganesha murti passed through the Panigate Darwaza area in the Mandvi locality of Vadodara district. The area is reportedly Muslim dominated and stones were thrown at the procession as it passed. A video of the incident shared on social media shows stones being lobbed from buildings. Hindus retaliated but were lathi-charged by police.

Police have detained Hindus for retaliating. Joint Commissioner of Police Chirag Koradia who spoke to the media about the incident said, “the situation is under control, and the crime branch is looking into the matter” and urged people not to fall for any rumours claiming that “the situation in the area is peaceful”.

Vadodara’s Deputy Commissioner Panna Momaya called it “an internal fight” and said “Unfortunately, one of the stones hit a window of a religious place breaking it, sparking speculation about members of the minority being attacked. This was retaliated, leading to a clash between the two groups”. While India Today reported that stones were pelted as the murti was passing through a “sensitive locality”, Indian Express wrote that it was “a scuffle between members of the procession”.

In August 2022, PTI had twisted an incident of Muslims pelting stones at Hindus as the latter initiating the violence and Muslims retaliating in defense. It tried to whitewash the crime of Muslims attacking Kanwariyas in UP as well. It is possible that the Gujarat incident could also have been ‘sensitised’ by news portals.

13 members of “both communities” have been booked under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 336 (rash act endangering human life or personal safety), 295 (defiling place of worship). Attacking processions during Hindu festivals increases year by year and yet so-called minorities cry persecution. It is time to question political parties like the BJP as they have failed to strengthen law and order to ensure Hindu rights are protected despite continuing to enjoy the patronisation of the Hindu community.