Maharashtra: Shops belonging to Muslims burnt during bandh called by BJP in Amravati, say police

Two shops belonging to Muslims were burnt during a shutdown observed by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra’s Amravati city on Saturday, The Indian Express reported. The BJP observed the bandh in response to a protest staged by a Muslim organisation on Friday against the recent communal violence in Tripura. The protestors had allegedly thrown stones at BJP leader Pravin Pote’s home….

On the same day, 6,000 workers of the BJP and Hindutva groups Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad assembled at Rajkamal Chowk in Amravati reportedly on Pote’s instructions, according to The Indian Express.

“A section of this crowd turned violent, burnt two shops, damaged some other shops, burnt vehicles,” an unidentified police officer told the newspaper…. One of the shops burnt during the violence had been running since 1970 and belonged to a man named Shadab Khan. The businessman blamed Pote, the BJP leader, for his loss. “I told police to make him an accused in the case,” Ahmed said. “He was the one who organised the morcha. I want the government to pay for my losses and punish the guilty.”…

This article originally appeared in Scroll.in.