Pulwama Attack: Stone-Pelting at Ahmedabad Condolence March

Tear gas had to be lobbed at the rioting mob and 15-20 people have been rounded up by police.

A car torched in by the mob during the stone-pelting incident in Shahpur, Ahmedabad.

(Photo: Rahul Nair/The Quint)

Stone-pelting caused disorder in Shahpur area of Ahmedabad late on Saturday, 16 February, during a rally taken out in support of the CRPF personnel killed in the deadly terror attack in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on 14 February 2019.

Commissioner of Police of Ahmedabad, Anup Kumar Singh, told The Quint that one vehicle was torched as the stone-pelting devolved into clashes and police forces from the nearby police stations were immediately deployed to bring the situation under control. Tear gas had to be lobbed at the rioting mob.

Singh added that around 15-20 people have been rounded up and CCTV footage is being monitored to identify the perpetrators who started the violence.

Police forces from nearby police stations was immediately deployed to bring the situation under control.Rahul Nair@The Quint

The stone-pelting occurred during a rally taken out in support of the slain jawans late in the evening between Dilli Chakla and Nagoriwadi areas of Shahpur, when an altercation between a group of boys broke out.

“Someone threw one stone and the situation deteriorated at the rally. Just when people were running around in confusion pelting stones, a marriage procession walked right into the chaos. This is a highly sensitive area and soon both sides confronted each other, which resulted in heavy stone pelting.”

Anup Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad

He further added, “We had to deploy forces from nearby areas to bring the situation under control. We also had to fire tear gas shells. One car that belonged to a person from the marriage party was set on fire. So far, 15-20 persons have been rounded up and combing operations are underway.”

Singh called it a spontaneous altercation ‘due to the heightened anti-Pakistan sentiment’. He added that in the Walled City, both Hindu and Muslim communities are organising and participating in condolence marches and rallies in support of the slain CRPF jawans.

Traders’ associations had declared a bandh across the city after the Pulwama attack.