Nagpur: Residents of Nagpur described a night of chaos as houses were vandalized and vehicles set on fire, following calls from a right-wing outfit to remove the tomb of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. Eyewitnesses alleged that police arrived late to the scene, while a BJP lawmaker accused them of abandoning “Hindu citizens” during the violence.
Earlier in the day, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) had staged a protest demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Protesters burned a photo of the Mughal ruler wrapped in a green cloth meant to symbolize his grave. This act reportedly triggered rumors that sacred verses were inscribed on the cloth, escalating tensions.
The violence erupted around 7:30 pm near Chitnis Park in central Nagpur, where stones were hurled at police and several people sustained injuries.
According to some residents, a mob stormed the Old Hislop College area near Chitnis Park, vandalizing four cars and multiple homes. They also pelted stones at houses and shattered windows before fleeing the scene.
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Residents later scrambled to douse the flames, using water to save their burning vehicles.
Hours later, fresh violence was reported from the Hansapuri area, where locals described mobs torching vehicles and ransacking homes and a clinic.
In response to the escalating unrest, authorities imposed a curfew in parts of Nagpur, banning large gatherings to restore order.
‘They Forced Their Way Into a House’
Sharad Gupta, a grocery store owner from the violence-hit area, recounted that he had just closed his shop around 10:30 pm and sat down for dinner when chaos erupted outside.
“I saw cars being dragged out and set on fire. Three men forced their way into a house but fled when the family screamed for help. When I tried to douse the flames with a water hose, they hurled stones at me. I called the police several times, but they only arrived after the culprits had vanished,” he told news agency ANI.
Chandrakant Kawde, another resident, recalled that the attackers first smashed CCTV cameras before setting fire to the decorative items he had arranged for the Ramnavami Shobha Yatra. “The police arrived nearly an hour after the incident — by then, it was all over,” he said.
Sunil Peshne, also a resident of the area, said his car was torched by a mob of nearly 1,000 people, who went on to vandalize around 25 to 30 vehicles. His wife, Madhuri Peshne, added that their home’s doors and windows were damaged in the stone-pelting.
‘Masked Men Armed with Rods’
Another eyewitness from the Hansapuri area described how the attackers arrived with their faces covered, carrying sharp weapons and iron rods. “They created chaos as soon as they entered — vandalizing shops, hurling stones, and setting vehicles on fire,” she told news agency ANI.
Vansh Kawle, another eyewitness, echoed the account, saying the mob first destroyed CCTV cameras before attempting to break into homes.
A local tea shop was also targeted in the violence. The shop owner said the mob broke into a clinic opposite his shop, damaging furniture and destroying medicines.
Pravin Datke, BJP MLA from Nagpur Central, alleged that the violence was “pre-planned,” claiming that most of the attackers were outsiders. “Only Hindu houses and shops were targeted,” he said, adding, “It’s unfortunate that the police did not stand with Hindu citizens during the chaos.”
He said he repeatedly tried calling police inspector Sanjay Singh for two hours, but the officer’s phone remained switched off.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also oversees the Home department, has promised strict action against those responsible. Speaking in the assembly, he described the violence as a “premeditated conspiracy” and revealed that at least 33 police personnel, including three deputy commissioners, were injured. One officer was even attacked with an axe.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde echoed these concerns, claiming the violence was part of a deliberate conspiracy to target a specific community.
