Gujarat: Woman right-wing activist booked for 'hate speech', 50 detained after communal clash in Una

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Police have registered a first information report (FIR) against a right-wing woman activist for her alleged hate speech and detained more than 50 people on the charge of rioting following a communal clash at Una town in Gujarat's Gir Somnath that left two persons injured, an official said on Sunday.

The communal clash erupted in a sensitive area of Una town on Saturday night with two groups hurling stones at each other amid tension caused by the speech of one Kajal Hindustani at a 'Hindu Sammelan' organised on the occasion of Ram Navami on Thursday, in which she allegedly targeted a minority community.

Una town had been on edge since the alleged hate speech. With traders keeping markets shut, the police and local leaders had on Saturday called for a peace committee meeting involving representatives of both communities who ensured normalcy. But hours after the meeting, a clash broke out in the communally sensitive area, police said.

"We have registered two FIRs. One is against Kajal Hindustani for hate speech, and another against the mob for rioting," Superintendent of Police Sripal Sheshma told reporters.

"We have detained 50 to 60 people and are going through the CCTV footage. We are using local intelligence and questioning the detained persons for further action. The accused will not be spared and strict action will be taken against them," he said.

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Police personnel have been deployed in sensitive areas with some of them patrolling and some posted at static points. All the officers are available on call and all distress calls are being addressed on an immediate basis, he said.

"Two State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) teams have been deployed in Una so far in this case," he said.

The leaders participating in the peace committee meeting reached a resolution, but the message did not reach the young generation and this led to a small incident of stone pelting, police said.

Police carried out combing operations during the night in Una town and seized a number of swords, rods and other such objects from some houses.

Meanwhile, the police in Vadodara city of the state on Saturday night arrested a right-wing activist Rohan Shah and some others for "hate speech" during a Ram Navami procession in the city on Thursday. The case against them was registered under sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Shah is a local leader of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).

Vadodara police said they have also arrested one Mohammad Vora for allegedly posting an edited video on Facebook with the intention of spreading communal enmity.

Members of two communities clashed after stones were hurled at two Ram Navami processions in Vadodara on Thursday, with the police registering FIRs and arresting dozens of people.

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