At least 14 Kanwar pilgrims were injured in Rajasthan’s Tonk district on Thursday as they clashed with residents, The Times of India reported. Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders in the locality where the incident took place.
Mobile internet services were blocked in the area after the incident and Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code was put in place, Ajmer Range Inspector General Biju George Joseph told The Times of India.
The pilgrims were passing through a Muslim-dominated locality when some miscreants hurled stones at them, Additional Superintendent of Police Goverdhan Sekaria told PTI. A vehicle was also set on fire in the clashes.
The injured pilgrims are out of danger, Joseph said. Additional police force has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.
Kanwar is an annual pilgrimage of Shiva devotees where as part of a ritual, pilgrims carry water from the Ganga river in containers suspended on the side of a pole. The pilgrims, called Kanwariyas, walk barefoot, often across hundreds of kilometres.
The incident came days after groups of Kanwar pilgrims were accused of vandalism in multipleinstances in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!