Violence shakes Maharashtra's Parbhani over vandalism of Constitution replica

At least one person was taken into custody by the police in Maharashtra's Parbhani after violence broke out when an unknown man vandalized a replica of the Constitution carried by the statue of BR Ambedkar outside Parbhani railway station.

In Brief

• One person taken into custody after clashes in Maharashtra's Parbhani
• Protesters blocked railway tracks, driven away by police
• Situation under control, mass congregations banned after violence

Clashes erupted in Maharashtra's Parbhani district for the second consecutive day after a person vandalised a replica of the Constitution near the statue of BR Ambedkar outside the railway station on Tuesday.

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Word spread about the incident, and soon around 200 people gathered near the statue and raised slogans. When police arrived to disperse the crowd, stones were hurled, and chaos ensued. It soon triggered violence, and incidents of arson were also reported in the area.

On Wednesday, a 'bandh' was called by locals in the Vasmat area of the district, when once again violence broke out. The mobs of unidentified people hurled stones and rained blows on vehicles.
Activists also rushed to the Parbhani railway station and tried to halt trains. They blocked the railway track for more than 30 minutes before being evicted by the GRP and local police personnel.

Speaking on the law and order situation in Parbhani, a senior officer of Parbhani Police said that the situation came under control after deploying extra forces for two and half hours. One person has been detained by police in the violence.

Meanwhile, Parbhani's District Magistrate (DM) Raghunath Gawade, said one of the accused has been detained and Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been imposed to restrict mass gatherings.

"Section 163 of BNS has been imposed in Parbhani, prohibiting mass gatherings. The tensions erupted due to an incident involving damage to the replica of the Constitution. One accused has been detained. We appeal to all citizens to maintain peace in the city. Do not trust or spread any rumours. We are in constant touch with senior police officials," Gawade said.