A mosque was set on fire and its deputy imam killed by a mob in Gurugram after deadly communal violence erupted in India’s Haryana, BBC reported.
The victim was identified as Maulana Saad, 19, deputy imam of the Anjuman Jama mosque located in Sector 57 in Gurugram, while another was injured as dozens of miscreants opened fire at the mosque.
The attack came a day after violence broke out in neighbouring Nuh district in Haryana in several were killed after a mob attempted to stop a religious procession in India’s Haryana.
An Indian official said police had been deployed at the mosque when it was attacked.
“But we were outnumbered by the attackers who opened fire suddenly,” Nitish Agarwal, Deputy Police Commissioner (East) of Gurugram, told BBC Hindi.
“A group of 50 to 60 miscreants resorted to firing and arson at Anjum in the early hours of Tuesday, which led to the death of one person and wounded another,” Agarwal said.
“We have arrested a few people, registered an FIR [police report] against them and have launched an investigation into the incident,” he added.
Earlier, at least two home guards, a volunteer force, and a civilian was killed and 10 police officers injured after a mob attempted to stop a religious procession in India’s Haryana on Monday, Indian media reported.
Stones were thrown and cars were set on fire as clashes erupted between the two groups. Police used teargas and fired shots in the air to disperse the crowd.
The administration suspended the internet services in the area to tamp down the tense situation till August 2. They have also banned large gatherings.
“Today’s incident is unfortunate, I appeal to all the people to maintain peace in the state. The guilty will not be spared at any cost, strictest action will be taken against them,” Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal tweeted on Monday. It was the Google translation of his tweet in Hindi.
The police have rescued nearly 2,500 men, women and children who had taken shelter at a temple near Nuh, adjoining Gurugram, due to the violence outside, according to the NDTV.
There were conflicting reports pertaining to the cause of the violence. Some reports claimed the clash started as the Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra was stopped by a group of young men on the Gurugram-Alwar National Highway and stones were thrown at the procession.
Later, the mob attacked government and private vehicles. Reports say the clash was prompted by an objectionable video posted on social media by a Bajrang Dal activist.
But India Today while quoting reports said that the riots broke out after rumours spread that Monu Manesar was joining the procession. Manesar was booked for the murder of two Muslim men whose charred bodies were found in Bhiwani district in February.
But Manesar claimed that he did not take part in the event on the VHP’s advice as the group was wary of the reaction of his presence, Indian news agency PTI reported.
