Emeute à Dhule धुळे – mai 2010

Violence in Indian town over blasphemous cartoon

ARABNEWS.com

May 6, 2010

PUNE: Communal riots broke out in Dhule in Vidarbha region Thursday morning. News of a blasphemous cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) being drawn and put up in the city triggered violence in Muslim-dominated areas in the city.

Twenty-two people, including three policemen were injured following police action and firing. To contain unrest, curfew was imposed on the riot-hit areas of the city.

According to police sources, a caricature defaming the Prophet was posted on the notice board of the district collector’s office Thursday morning that infuriated Muslims.

Protesters pelted two buses with stones at Tiranga Chowk in the area. The mob reportedly assaulted the bus passengers and tried to rob them. As the protesters were about to set the buses ablaze, police reached the troubled spot and fired shots to disperse them.

Two youths, Adil Fazul-ur-Rahman Ansari, 19 and Siraj Jamal Ansari, 25, were seriously injured in the police firing. Panic spread in the town and shopkeepers pulled down their shutters.

Meanwhile, agitated Muslims met the District Collector Gokul Maware and the controversial cartoon was removed. Maware assured the Muslims that strong action would be taken against those involved.

District Congress chief Yuvraj Karankal visited the injured at the Civil Hospital and appealed to the citizens to stay calm. City Congress General Secretary Mobin Ansari said that Adil Ansari, who was injured in the police firing was returning home after appearing for the Centralized Education Test (CET).

35 hurt in Dhule riots

indianexpress.com

Fri May 07 2010

About 35 people were injured after violence erupted in the communally sensitive town of Dhule in north Maharashtra on Thursday after Muslims took to the streets to protest against a poster with a cartoon of Prophet Mohammed was put up in the town.

After the poster was found put up in the District Collectorate by unidentified persons, Muslims protested at Tiranga Chowk located in the Azadnagar area and pelted stones at a state transport bus.

The police fired in the air and also lathi charged them. The vehicle of the Additional Superintendent of Police Pramod Shewale was also damaged by the stone throwing protestors. Curfew was imposed in the area covered by the Azadnagar police station. Around 10 policemen and a woman commuter were also injured in the violence.

Minister of state and Dhule Guardian Minister Abdul Sattar visited the affected areas along with District Collector Gokul Maware and other officials. A meeting of the peace committee and mohalla committee was also held.