Members of the Muslim community in Nagpur have strongly condemned the violence that erupted in Vidarbha’s largest city earlier this week and have called for an impartial investigation into the incident. They claimed that swift and decisive action by the police could have prevented the Nagpur violence.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, community representatives urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to engage with leaders from both communities in an effort to restore harmony. Large-scale stone pelting and incidents of arson were reported in several parts of Nagpur on Monday evening following rumours that a ‘chadar’ with sacred Islamic inscriptions had been desecrated and burnt. The controversy arose during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), which was demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb, PTI reports.