Stone-pelting in Vadodara during Ram Navami celebrations

Vadodara Bajrang Dal president Ketan Trivedi claimed that the violence was part of a conspiracy

Police detain people after incidents of stone pelting on a ‘Ram Navmi’ procession, in Vadodara, on March 30, 2023. | Photo Credit: PTI

Ram Navami celebrations in Gujarat’s Vadodara were marked with incidents of stone-pelting during the processions and damaging of vehicles.

Stones were pelted at two places while people from both the Hindu and Muslim communities engaged in shouting and provocative sloganeering, while the police struggled to disperse the mob and bring the situation under control.

The processions were taken by Hindu right wing outfits namely, the Bajarang Dal.

Vadodara Police Commissioner Shamsher Singh himself was out in the field to ensure that there was no escalation in the violence.

“No lathi charge, no injuries and no FIR. We handled the situation tactfully and except for two minor incidents of stone-pelting, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the city,” Mr. Singh told The Hindu.

However, Vadodara Bajrang Dal president Ketan Trivedi claimed that the stone-pelting was part of a conspiracy.

Several videos of how the mob was making communally charged remarks during the processions, were shared on social media platforms.