Tensions erupted in Mumbai's Mazgaon area after eggs were allegedly thrown during the arrival of a Ganpati procession leading to clashes between two groups, said officials on Monday.
The incident happened on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday following which security was heightened in the area.
According to the locals, the eggs were allegedly thrown at the procession from a nearby building by some unidentified persons. Following the incident, a large crowd gathered at the site and chanted slogans such as 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Vande Mataram', leading to a clash between two groups.
Later, the police intervened and the situation was brought under control, but the locals demanded that those responsible for the incident must be arrested. They claimed that this is not an isolated incident and something similar had happened a few years ago in Byculla's Nagpada area.
"The incident that took place here today is condemnable. The arrival of Lord Ganpati had already happened, and someone from nearby buildings threw 'Baida' (egg in Marathi). After the incident, tension escalated here," Akhil Public Festival Committee President Hitesh Jadhav told reporters this morning.
"We have requested that the police take action within the next 24 hours. Maharashtra's Minister for Cultural Affairs, Ashish Shelar, has helped us a lot... We have been assured that complete action will be taken on this within 24 hours," he added.
The police, meanwhile, are still deployed in the area to ensure that the law and order is maintained. A case was also registered under Sections 299 and 196 of the BNS.
This incident is similar to one that happened in Nagpada area's Kamathipura in August 2022 when eggs were hurled on a procession bringing a Ganesh idol, which led to a clash between two groups that was defused later.
According to the police, the accused was immediately arrested and a first information report (FIR) was registered against him Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs).
Later, he was remanded to police custody, the police had said.
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