Clash over Shivaji statue: Situation peaceful in Telangana’s Bodhan town; 12 arrested

Hyderabad: The situation in Bodhan town of Nizamabad district remained peaceful on Monday a day after members of two groups indulged in protests and stone pelting over installation of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, police said.

Four cases were registered and a total of 12 people who were involved in stone pelting were arrested so far, they said.

According to police, a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji was placed at a junction in Bodhan town by one group on Saturday which was objected to by members of another group resulting in protests by both the groups on Sunday after which the protesters hurled stones at each other.

Police resorted to a lathicharge and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the two groups and brought the situation under control, though one police constable was injured during the stone pelting.

The situation in Bodhan town is peaceful and under control, a senior police official told PTI over phone on Monday and said patrolling has been intensified and pickets have been set up.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which was promulgated on Sunday continued in the town on Monday and depending on the situation a decision on lifting or extending prohibitory orders will be taken, the official said.

Meanwhile, a bandh was being observed by some Hindu organisations in Bodhan town in protest against the lathicharge. In view of the bandh call, as many as 213 people were taken into preventive custody, the official said.

At some places, owners voluntarily shut their shops and business establishments while in other places they remained open, police said.

Members of one group belonging to a political party stated that the Bodhan Municipal council had passed a resolution over installation of the statue while workers of another political party maintained that there was no permission for installing it and demanded that the statue be removed from the junction.