Gujarat: Stone Pelting During Ram Navami Procession In Vadodara

Stone-pelting occurred today in Gujarat's Vadodara during the Ram Navami Shoba Yatra. According to the police, the situation is under control and peace is prevailing in the affected area.

Screengrab From The Video Posted On Twitter ( Image Source :ANI )

Stone-pelting occurred on Thursday during the Ram Navami Shoba Yatra in Gujarat's Vadodara. According to the police, the situation is under control, and there is peace in the affected area, according to news agency ANI, which posted a video of the incident.

Gujarat | Stone-pelting happened today in Vadodara during Rama Navami Shoba Yatra. As per the police, the situation is under control & peace is prevailing in the affected area. pic.twitter.com/5BGMpxivBy

— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2023

While some vehicles were damaged, no one was injured, and the procession continued along its planned route under police protection, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police Yashpal Jaganiya.

According to a local Bajrang Dal leader, despite knowing that such an incident had occurred in the past, police were nowhere to be found when the procession, which is held every year along the same route, was attacked.

"The situation is under control. The incident took place when the procession reached a mosque and people started gathering at the spot. This is not a communal riot. We dispersed the crowd and the procession also went ahead on its route. All such processions in the city were already given police protection," a police official was quoted as saying.

Manoj Ninama, the Additional Commissioner of Police, also arrived on the scene and ordered the deployment of additional force to maintain peace.

"We have deployed armed personnel from the regular police force, the crime branch, the SOG, and the State Reserve Police Force. As of now, there have been no reports of anyone being injured as a result of the stone pelting. We've launched an investigation into the incident," Ninama was quoted by PTI.

Nobody has been arrested yet, he added.

Earlier in the day, several incidents were reported from across the country in connection with Ram Navami celebrations.

A massive fire broke out at the Venugopala Swamy Temple in Andhra Pradesh during Ram Navami celebrations after the roof of a temple caved in on devotees in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, where several people are feared trapped and rescue operations are underway. This comes as the entire country is praying and performing pujas to commemorate Ram Navami.

Over 25 people are believed to be trapped after the floor of Indore's Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal Temple caved in in Madhya Pradesh. After the floor caved in, the devotees fell into a stepwell. The incident occurred during Ram Navami when a large crowd gathered at the temple.

The incident was captured on video, and it showed chaos inside the temple as the floor caved in, with people fleeing to the exit gate.

According to the chief minister's office, eight people have been rescued and taken to the hospital so far. Several ambulances have been dispatched to the scene.

Maharashtra's Aurangabad is also on edge after clashes erupted last night during Ram Navami celebrations between members of two distinct communities, resulting in stone-pelting and arson. Several police officers were injured during the clashes as cops used tear gas to disperse the rioters, Hindustan Times reported.