Nagpur Violence Key Accused Fahim Khan, 5 Others Charged With Sedition

Police have booked Fahim Khan, key accused in the Nagpur violence, and five others on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media, officials said on Thursday, adding that curfew was lifted or relaxed in parts of the city three days after the violence.

Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, a Barelvi sect cleric, wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah, seeking a ban on the film 'Chhava', alleging it was inciting communal tensions and was directly responsible for the Nagpur violence.

Amid demand from right-wing organisations that Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's tomb at Khultabad in Maharashtra's Sambhajinagar district be removed, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has put up tin sheets on two sides of the 18th century structure.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned Monday's violence in Nagpur, asserting that India is known for unity in diversity.

The cyber crime department has asked for information from Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube authorities about 230 profiles on their platforms and sought that they be blocked, DCP Cyber Crime Lohit Matani told reporters in Nagpur.

The probe so far has indicated that misinformation was spread initially after some videos were shared on social media, which fuelled the violence and more videos "glorified" the violence, he said.

Six persons, including Khan, who is Minority Democratic Party city chief, have been booked for sedition in the cyber police FIRs, Mr Matani said.

Rumours about a 'chadar' with holy inscriptions being burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb was the trigger for the violence in Nagpur, an official said.

Mamata Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata that she condemns the Nagpur violence. "Our country is known for its unity in diversity. After the demolition of Babri Masjid, I hit the streets to protect communal harmony," she said.

Mamata Banerjee said her INDIA alliance partner Uddhav Thackeray, the president of Shiv Sena (UBT), will comment on the situation.

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI), as per the directive of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district administration, has put up tin sheets on two sides of Aurangzeb's tomb at Khultabad, an official said.

The tin sheets and wire fencing were put up on two sides of the structure on Wednesday night, a local official said.

A circular fence will also be installed around the tomb, an official said. "The green net covering two sides of the tomb was in bad shape, and the structure was visible to those visiting the nearby Khwaja Syed Zainuddin Chishti grave. So we have installed tin sheets," he told PTI.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) said CM Fadnavis 'blaming' the film "Chhaava" for the Nagpur violence was a sign of his "weak morale." An editorial in the party mouthpiece 'Saamana' asked if the the BJP-led government was planning to register cases against the film's actors, director and producers over Monday's incidents in the state's second capital.

The climax of the film depicting the brutal execution of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj on the orders of Aurangzeb incited emotions, it said. "Blaming 'Chhaava' for Nagpur riots is a sign of Devendra Fadnavis's weak morale," it added.

D Fadnavis said on Tuesday that the film presented the true story of the Maratha king, and after watching it people were expressing their anger about Aurangzeb in a big way.

The editorial also claimed that late RSS chief M S Golwalkar and freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar had written about Sambhaji Maharaj in unflattering terms. If their writings did not incite riots, why should people resort to violence after watching a film, it asked.

Maulana Razvi , who is the All India Muslim Jamaat president, sought immediate legal action against Chhava film's director, producer, and writer.

He claimed that the film portrayed Aurangzeb in a manner that provoked Hindu youth. The atmosphere of the country is deteriorating since the release of the film, he added.

"In Chhava, Hindu youth have been incited and provoked by showing the image of Aurangzeb as anti-Hindu. This is the reason why leaders of Hindu organisations are giving hate speeches about Aurangzeb at various places." Maharashtra Cyber department has identified more than 140 posts and videos containing objectionable contents across social media platforms aimed at inciting communal unrest, officials said.

People have been urged to exercise caution while sharing information online and to refrain from engaging with or amplifying unverified or objectionable content, he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)