NEW DELHI: Gurugram, the suburb of Indian capital New Delhi, remained tense on Wednesday as the death toll from two days of Hindu-Muslim clashes in the region had mounted to seven.
The violence erupted during a religious procession by Hindus in the Muslim-dominated Nuh district on Monday, resulting in the death of four people, including two police personnel, and around 60 people were injured. Two more civilians had succumbed to injuries, officials said.
The unrest spread to neighbouring Gurugram on Monday night and continued through Tuesday, with a mosque being set on fire and its cleric killed. Several shops and eateries were vandalised or torched.
“The conspirators (behind the clashes in Nuh) are being continuously identified. A total of 116 people have been arrested so far,” said Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana state where Gurugram is located.
A deputy imam was killed after a mob of far-right Hindus torched and opened fire at a mosque. Police have identified the victim as 19-year-old Maulana Saad, prayer leader of the Anjuman Jama mosque in Gurugram. Three other people were present, of whom one was injured and two remained unharmed.
Hindu far-right groups aligned with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been campaigning against Friday prayers in Gurugram. The Anjuman mosque was one of the few places officially recognised to hold prayers.
Gurugram hosts dozens of multinational companies, including Google, Deloitte and American Express, in an area located about 10 km from the nearest violence.
While schools in most of the district were permitted to reopen from Wednesday, several institutions opted to suspend physical classes and move online amid concerns for safety. Police officials said the situation was “normal” and all educational institutions and offices were operating as usual.
Security forces across the region, including in New Delhi, remained on alert on Wednesday as Hindu nationalist groups staged demonstrations at various locations.
One such demonstration at the border between Gurugram and the neighbouring district of Faridabad involved over 100 protesters who shouted slogans and blocked the toll plaza for around 20 minutes.
