77 arrested after stone pelting & arson in MP's Khargone during Ram Navami celebration

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Home Minister and government spokesman Narottam Mishra said on Monday that 77 arrests have been executed thus far in the wake of Ram Navami violence at Khargone district headquarters.

“Peace prevails in that town where an adequate police force is present and curfew still in force. One aspect has to be made abundantly clear. Rioters are being ceaselessly identified and the dwelling from where the stones (that were hurled) were brought shall itself be reduced to rubble. The government is uncompromising on this matter as nobody enjoys any right to vitiate the state's calm and we shall not tolerate any such attempt,” Dr Mishra told the press here..

“The Superintendent of Police (Mr Sidharth Choudhary) sustained shrapnel injuries to a leg and six other personnel were injured. Civilian Shivam Shukla has a grievous head injury but nobody else is critical. There is no curfew in Barwani district's Sendhwa, the situation is normal there as well,” he added.

Earlier, curfew was clamped in some areas of Khargone district headquarters following disturbances triggered after a Ram Navami procession was pelted with stones late Sunday.

The issue assumed political hues with Khargone Block Congress President Poorna Thakur dashing off a communication to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan seeking removal of Additional SP Neeraj Chourasia. The opposition leader alleged that Mr Chourasia's behavior aggravated the matter. (Inputs from UNI)