Maharashtra: Mob Attacks Mosque in Rajapur During Holi Celebrations, Gate Vandalized – Police Remain Silent
Rajapur, 14 March – (www.deccanlive.com): A video of a large mob attacking a mosque in Rajapur town, located in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, during Holi celebrations has gone viral, sparking outrage on social media.
Maulana Luqman from Rajapur confirmed the attack on the mosque on Wednesday night. He told Clarion India over the phone that while Muslims were offering Taraweeh prayers inside the mosque, a group of miscreants attacked the mosque.
The mob was performing initial Holi rituals and was carrying a pillar-like object around the area. When they reached near the mosque, they tried to enter it.
They were attempting to bring the pillar inside the mosque to provoke communal tension. Earlier, the local people had approached the police, requesting protection for the mosque. However, only a few police officers were deployed, who failed to control the mob.
The incident has created tension in the town. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered. In the viral video, Holi celebrators can be seen shouting and creating chaos near the mosque. Some of them were trying to enter the mosque but were pushed back.
After some time, a few people shouting “Jai Shri Ram” started pushing a pillar-like object toward the mosque’s gate. After three attempts, they managed to enter the gate. The video shows that police officers stood silently while the mob caused damage and broke the mosque’s gate.
A non-governmental organization (NGO) called Mumbai Brotherhood Foundation has demanded strict action from the government against the attackers. The organization also requested authorities to provide proper protection to the mosque during Holi celebrations.
Social media users have criticized the Devendra Fadnavis government for allowing miscreants to disturb peace and order. Prem Vada, a member of the Indian National Congress, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Maharashtra is quickly turning into Uttar Pradesh, where Fadnavis is both the Chief Minister and Home Minister.
She accused the BJP government of running on communal politics. Rajapur is a peaceful town in Konkan where Hindus and Muslims have always lived together. However, after Junior Rane was elected from this area and became a cabinet minister, communal violence has started disturbing the peace in the town. She said that a new government is needed to restore peace, warning that BJP will destroy Maharashtra.
