Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], March 18 (ANI): Maharashtra BJP chief and minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday urged residents to maintain peace and avoid rumours after violent clashes erupted in Nagpur's Mahal area, where a mob of nearly 1,000 people engaged in large-scale stone-pelting, vandalism, and arson, injuring several police personnel and damaging multiple vehicles and homes.

Speaking to the media, Bawankule stressed the need to prevent misinformation from spreading and assured that an investigation would reveal the cause of the unrest.

'Priority is to restore peace in society and keep it away from rumours. An investigation will later reveal why the unrest occurred. But the people of Nagpur should not believe rumours and support the Police administration. Police are trying to maintain peace. All of us have urged everyone to maintain peace and uphold the prestige of Nagpur city...I urge all political parties and politicians of Maharashtra to come together and make an effort to make the society peaceful and make people understand that rioters will be identified by the Police. But do not turn this incident into political...', said BJP's Maharashtra Chief.

In response to the violence, Nagpur Police issued prohibitory orders in the city and detained over 20 people. Authorities are analyzing CCTV footage and video clips to identify the culprits, and an FIR is being registered. Police have urged residents to maintain calm and cooperate.

Reacting to the incident, Congress National Spokesperson Atul Londhe Patil condemned the violence and alleged a conspiracy behind the unrest.

'This is a very unfortunate incident for the people of Nagpur...In Nagpur, the spirit of religious harmony and brotherhood is at its peak. Even when there were riots elsewhere in India, there was never a riot in Nagpur...Whoever has hatched this conspiracy to disturb the peace in Nagpur for political reasons, I condemn this. I also humbly request the people of Nagpur to maintain peace. Whoever has hatched this conspiracy for political reasons will have to be defeated, and for this, we will have to maintain peace...', Patil said.

Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal blamed the Home Department, calling the violence a failure of intelligence.

Harshvardhan Sapkal said, 'In the city of Nagpur, the stone pelting and arsoning in the night is extremely unfortunate. I urge all residents of Nagpur not to trust the rumours. Nagpurkars should maintain peace. In Nagpur, people of all religions live with great joy and happiness. Nagpur is the city of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. It is a failure of the Home Department that there is such a stress in this city, stone pelting and arson, and the Police did not have any intel about it. For the past few days, the cabinet minister of the state has been trying to create social agony by making provocative statements. His efforts seem to have succeeded in Nagpur.'

'The state has many burning questions. Inflation, unemployment, agricultural and unfulfilled promises of the government's loan waiver. This is a matter of the fact that the ruling party was constantly making provocative statements to divert attention from this. Nagpur is a city of social harmony. There was never a riot in Nagpur. Hindus-Muslims pull the chariot together during Ramnavami. In the Dargah of Tajuddin Baba, more Hindus than Muslims are seen,' Sapkal added.

Victims of the violence described the chaotic scenes, recalling how mobs vandalised vehicles and homes.

Sunil Peshne, whose car was torched, said,' Around 8.30 pm, a mob of 500-1000 people pelted stones. They even torched our car...They vandalised around 25-30 vehicles.'

Madhuri Peshne, said, 'They were running around with stones. They pelted stones at our house, even at children on the upper floor. They damaged our doors and windows. They torched our car...There were around 1000 people in the crowd...' (ANI)