Communal clashes in Telangana's Bhainsa; BJP blames TRS-AIMIM for 'frequent riots'

Communally sensitive Bhainsa town in north Telangana has been tense since Sunday night after clashes broke out between two groups.

The town, which witnessed communal riots last year too, was put under curfew to bring the situation under control.

At least eight people were severely injured on Sunday, including two journalists who went to cover the violence and three cops who arrived at the spot to control the clashes.

Nine vehicles were damaged with some of them set on fire by miscreants. A few shops were also destroyed.

According to the Police, the clashes were sparked after an altercation between two men – one riding a bike and another walking in a lane. People from the two sides from the surrounding neighborhood then indulged in stone pelting.

“A minor road rage incident soon aggravated into clashes between the two groups. We are probing the incident in detail, to bring out the miscreants. We have booked cases and have round up about 50 suspects,” Narasimha Rao, DSP Bhainsa told DH.

None of the injured undergoing treatment in the hospitals are in a serious condition, the official said.

Communal clashes engulfed the Bhainsa town in Nirmal district, abutting Maharashtra, in January 2020, ahead of the civic polls. About a dozen people were injured, and several houses and vehicles were damaged then too.

In the ensuing polls, the AIMIM won the 26 ward municipality claiming 15 seats, while the BJP gained nine and independents two.

State BJP chief Bandi Sanjay held the K Chandrasekhar Rao government responsible for Sunday's incident and alleged that the establishment’s “appeasement approach and the police inaction thereby were causing frequent clashes in Bhainsa.”

On Monday, Nizamabad BJP MP Dharmapuri Aravind, who visited the injured in a Hyderabad hospital, blamed the AIMIM dispensation in Bhainsa municipality for the communal clashes.

“The land grabbers of MIM party in power, are avenging Hindus who voiced out against encroachments on their lands via WhatsApp and Social Media, as the police wouldn’t respond to their grievances,” the firebrand MP tweeted.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kishan Reddy said that Hone Minister Amit Shah had “enquired about the Bhainsa incident and expressed his concern over the violence.”

"I strongly condemn the Bhainsa violence. The attack on media personnel is disturbing and unfortunate,” Reddy said adding that he had asked the state DGP for deployment of additional forces.

Telangana DGP Mahendrer Reddy assured that the situation in Bhainsa is “now under control and that the offenders will be nabbed soon.”

Meanwhile, Telangana's IT-industries minister KT Rama Rao tweeted, “Peace & harmony is fundamental to the progress of civilised society Have requested Home Minister @mahmoodalitrs Garu & @TelanganaDGP Garu to take stern action to bring the perpetrators of violence in Bhainsa to justice Telangana Govt will not tolerate lawlessness in any form"

To this Mohammed Mahmood Ali replied, "Saab, Spoke to DGP, SP & Collector yesterday night, situation in Bhainsa is completely under control"

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