In the midst of the Mankhurd unrest, Maharashtra HM Dilip Walse Patil urged people to maintain peace and harmony

After two dozen automobiles were vandalised in Mumbai's Mankhurd by unknown miscreants, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil encouraged people of all communities to maintain peace and unity and assist the police in preserving law and order in the state.

 

He claimed that members of several political groups have made "provocative" statements, potentially fueling animosity between Hindus and Muslims. Patil promised that individuals who incite communal tensions in the state will face proper legal punishment. In a video, Patil encouraged Indians to "cooperate with us to ensure communal harmony in Maharashtra."

 

An FIR was filed against more than 40 unidentified people on Monday in Mumbai for allegedly vandalising 20 to 25 vehicles, including cars and auto-rickshaws, in the Mankhurd area, according to an official. According to him, one person was harmed in the late Sunday night event.

 

Sanjay Pandey, Mumbai Police Commissioner, Vishwas Nangre Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), and other top officials paid a visit to the scene on Monday morning. On Sunday night, about 40 persons believed to be inhabitants of a nearby neighbourhood arrived at the MHADA colony in Mankhurd and allegedly attacked parked vehicles - private cars, auto-rickshaws, and two-wheelers - with swords and bamboo sticks, according to a police official from Mankhurd.

 

According to him, a person named Abdullah Yakub Sheikh (32), was also injured in the event. Police arrived at the scene after being warned and apprehended a few people, according to the source. After the event, the situation in the region got tense, but police brought it under control and warned residents not to trust rumours and phony footage spreading on social media, he added.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @fpjindia