Those involved in criminal conspiracy to disturb country's harmony should not be protected: Naqvi

Mar 31, 2023

New Delhi [India], March 31 : Former union minister and BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Friday said that the people involved in a criminal conspiracy like instigating violence to break the fabric of the country's harmony should not be given any protection by the governments.
The BJP leader's remarks came in the wake of violent incidents reported in some parts of the country during the processions on Ram Navami on Thursday including in West Bengal's Howrah, and Gujarat's Vadodara among others.
Speaking to ANI, Naqvi said, "Harmony in the bars and frenzy on the streets is a lesson as well as a message, for those fanatics and for those who are projectors of fanatics. The criminal conspiracy to break the fabric of the country's harmony and unity of the country should not get any kind of protection. Those who are doing such activities should understand that neither the people of the country, society nor the government will accept it."
Hitting out at Congress, the former Union Minister said that the party is a "history-sheeter" in violence.
"On the allegations of Congress, Naqvi said that the Congress party and some of its partners are rioters, and are also history-sheeters in this matter. It had a tenure of 50-60 years in the government. More than 5,000 major massacres and communal riots took place, be it Bhagalpur, Bhiwandi, massacre of 1984, Baroda, Mumbai, Guwahati, Kolkata, Allahabad, Aligarh," Naqvi alleged.
Meanwhile, clashes were witnessed in some places of the country during the processions including Gujarat's Vadodara, West Bengal's Howrah, and Mumbai's Malvani area.
"Tension prevailed for some time during the Ram Navami procession in Mumbai's Malvani area but the police handled it and the situation is under control," DCP Ajay Bansal said on Thursday.
Some of the participants alleged stone pelting, which created panic among people, DCP Bansal added.
Meanwhile, in Vadodara, at least 22 people have been caught for allegedly pelting stones during a procession in the Fatehpura area of Vadodara, officials said on Friday.
A man was reportedly injured in the stone pelting incident that took place on Thursday on the occasion of Ram Navami.
West Bengal Police on Thursday conducted a flag march in Howrah where violence broke out during a Ram Navami procession.
During the procession, the rioters vandalized public and private properties and set vehicles on fire.