Tense situation over love jihad poster in ganesha procession

A tense situation erupted during a procession of Lord Ganesha, which had a tableau and poster against ‘Love Jihad’, and was being taken through the streets of Mahidpur town in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh on Friday.

The police resorted to mild force to control the situation and pacify two groups of people who had come face to face over the issue.

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The Ganesha procession had a tableau with a banner reading ‘Love Jihad ek shadyantra’ (Love Jihad is a conspiracy).

According to Ujjain SP Pradeep Sharma, some people objected to the said poster and figurines placed on the tableau.

“We used mild force to disperse the two groups that had come face to face over the issue,” Sharma told The Statesman on Friday evening. “The procession was then carried out, after some changes were made in the figurines, and both the groups were pacified,” he said.

“We might register a case later, if required,” the SP said.

Some unconfirmed sources said that stones were also pelted by one group on the said idol, which had led to the tense situation.

The SP, however, denied any such incident. “There was no stone pelting incident,” he maintained.

Ujjain is the hometown and district of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, who is also the Home Minister of the state.