Hindu Temples desecrated in Hazaribag and Giridih, five communal clashes in a month in Jharkhand.

Shiva Temple desecrated in Hazaribag, Durga Temple desecrated in Giridih, more than five incidents of communal tension erupted in Jharkhand in a month.

Jharkhand: Tension simmers in Giridih after Hindu temple desecrated by Jihadi men; cops detain six.

Pankaj Sourav | HENB | Ranchi | July 31, 2017:: A magisterial court in Giridih denied bail of some arrested persons in connection of recent communal tension broke out Keswari village in Giridih district in connection with a Hindu Temple desecration. The court sent the arrested person for further 14 days jail custody, sources said.

The Jharkhand Police which detained six men in Giridih on Tuesday (18/07/2017)– a Muslim for allegedly desecrating a temple and five others for rioting in retaliation – claimed that the quick action prevented the desecration from snowballing into a possible conflagration.

Tension had been simmering in Keswari village in Giridih district, about 180 km from the state capital Ranchi after Jihadi miscreants vandalized a Durga idol in a temple late Monday night. The desecration was the second such incident in less than a week in Jharkhand.

Irate Hindu villagers set several Muslim poultry shops ablaze in retaliation as the news spread.

On Tuesday, police detained 45-year-old Sikandar Ansari for allegedly vandalizing the temple. Biltu Thakur, Birju Rana, Vikash Rana, Gopi Paswan and Ajay Yadav were detained for rioting, sub divisional police officer (SDPO) Deepak Sharma told media persons.

Sharma said the situation was now under control and over 250 policemen have been deployed in the affected area to prevent any likely clashes.

“We have had a meeting with the senior members of both the communities and requested them to maintain peace,” he said.

Earlier on July 14, a Shiva temple was vandalized by a Muslim man in Hazaribag. It sparked communal clashes at four different locations in the district. Police said the accused who is now in jail, was mentally challenged. However, medical reports are yet to prove his mental disorder.

The Hazaribag police also made 23 arrests in connection with the case on Monday. Hazaribag superintendent of police Anup Birthare said that a majority of the arrested men – from the both communities – were in the age group of 18 to 22 years. They have been charged with rioting and disrupting communal harmony, he added.

More than five incidents of communal tension have been reported from different parts of Jharkhand in the past one month.

The BJP government in the state has been taking several initiatives, including externment of rumour mongers from their respective districts in a bid to avert communal clashes.

A few ministers in the Raghubar Das government have said that a well-planned nexus of rumour mongers was running in the state to cause unrest.

As the growing attacks on Hindu temples by some groups with Jihadi mentality can’t be stopped by police, the local Hindus are preparing for night-guard parties to avert such desecration of places of worship in late night.

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__with inputs from HT.