The Hindu organisations in the central Gujarat town of Khambhat are observing a strike today in protest to the arson, loot, attacks perpetrated by the Muslims against the Hindus of the area.

Khambat, where communal clashes broke out between Hindus and Muslims on Sunday, remained on the boil for the third day in a row as a mob set on fire two roadside cabins and motorcycles on the day a bandh was called by the Hindu organisations. Thousands of Hindus hit the streets demanding actions the culprits responsible for the attacks against them. The bandh was also supported by a majority of schools, colleges and markets as they remained shut amidst the ongoing communal flare-up.

According to the reports, the Hindu population in Khambhat are agitated after the targeted attack unleashed by the Muslim groups. Police constable Dharmendrasinh Bhimsinh stated that the Muslim mob attacked houses belonging to the Hindu community in Bhasarvad area. The Muslims had come there from Pirajpur and Tran Limdi areas.

As per a report in Desh Gujarat, while many police personnel were deployed in Ahmedabad over US President Trump’s visit, Muslim mobs had gone on a rampage, attacking Hindu houses in Akbarpur, Pith Bazar, Lal Darwaza and Bhavsarvad areas. A policeman was allegedly beaten by iron rods. A person named Tapasvi Chunara was injured by an acid attack by the mob.

A Hindu temple was vandalised and several motorcycles of Hindus were torched. Later, clashes broke out between the communities after which an armed mob of about 1200 Muslims from Kajiwad, Panch Hatdi, Dadiba, Tran Limdi etc barged into Hindu houses and set them aflame. The police had to employ lathi-charge and use tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.

However, the violence spilled over into the second day as Muslim mobs continued to attack Hindu homes in the town. In response to the continuing violence, Hindus staged a Bandh on Tuesday seeking imposition of Disturbed Area Act in the town, strict policing and action against the perpetrators involved in arson and violence.

Local MP Patel, who was in Delhi for a parliamentary meeting said, “This is the second or third time that communal clashes have erupted in Khambhat. The town-wide attack, especially in Bhasarvad reeks of conspiracy. I have informed the government about the situation. I had visited the violent-stricken areas on Sunday evening. I also had a meeting with police officials. Yesterday, the police had arrested some people involved in Sunday’s violence.

The police had apparently filed 4 FIRs and had identified some of the accused involved. Sarfaraz Khan alias Bablu Yusuf Pathan, Sohail alias Kanto Sarfaraz Saiyad, Safdar Hussain, Zahir Hussain, Sheikh Muhammad Hanif alias Barfan Sheikh, Mohsin Khan alias Chor Yusuf Khan Pathan, Moinuddin Gulam, Hussain Badshah, Moinuddin Badruddin Sheikh were amongst those identified as the main rioters by the police.