Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, witnessed a tense situation on the night of March 25 when a Mangla procession ahead of Ram Navami was attacked with stones near Jama Masjid Chowk. The violence, which erupted around 10:45 PM, reportedly started after an Islamist mob objected to the songs being played during the Hindu religious procession and resorted to violence. Incidentally, this has become a regular practice over the years by the Islamists of hurling stones at Hindu religious processions under one pretext or the other.
Every year, Mangla processions are organized by the Hindu community as part of Ram Navami celebrations, with various Akhara groups participating across the city. The procession was moving peacefully near Jhanda Chowk and Masjid Gali turn when the mob allegedly got agitated ‘with the music’. A verbal argument quickly turned into violence, leading to stone pelting and vandalism of nearby shops. The Eid Market had to be temporarily shut down due to the chaos.
ANOTHER FESTIVE SEASON: ANOTHER SERIES OF ATTACKS BEGIN!
BREAKING⚡Ram Navmi’s Mangla procession has once again been attacked. This time in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, Republic of India.
And as soon as the procession reached Jama Masjid, the stone pelting began.
The police had to… pic.twitter.com/XZam05bOq5
— Treeni (@TheTreeni) March 26, 2025
Upon receiving information, senior police officials, including Hazaribagh City SP Arvind Kumar Singh, SDPO Amit Anand, and DSP Amit Kumar, rushed to the scene with heavy police force. Initially, their attempts to control the situation were unsuccessful, prompting them to use mild lathi-charge and aerial firing to disperse the violent crowd.
Superintendent of Police Arvind Kumar Singh later confirmed that some individuals involved in the violence had been identified and were being questioned. Meanwhile, the administration has urged people to refrain from believing in rumors and maintain peace.
Ranchi: On the Hazaribagh incident, LoP in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi says, “The way the Ram Navami procession was attacked with stones and shops were looted last night in Hazaribagh, I believe this is a well-planned conspiracy to attack Hindu festivals. The attack… pic.twitter.com/C4jXXqkaQ9
— IANS (@ians_india) March 26, 2025
Slamming the JMM government, LoP in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi said, “The way the Ram Navami procession was attacked with stones and shops were looted last night in Hazaribagh, I believe this is a well-planned conspiracy to attack Hindu festivals. The attack is a result of the government’s appeasement policy. Therefore, I urge the government to install CCTV cameras at all places, as there is enough technology available now…”
Hazaribagh Deputy Commissioner Nancy Sahay acknowledged the incident, confirming that clashes broke out over songs being played during the Mangla procession. She assured the public that additional police forces had been deployed to prevent further tensions and that the situation was now under control. This marks the second communal flare-up targeting Hindu celebrations in recent weeks.
On February 26, during the Maha Shivratri celebrations in Hazaribagh, violence erupted when Muslim mob hurled stones at Mahashivratri procession from a nearby madrasa, triggering retaliatory stone pelting. The violence resulted in the destruction of multiple vehicles, including a car, two bikes, a tempo, and a shop, which were set on fire.
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The back-to-back incidents have raised concerns about religious intolerance and the increasing vulnerability of Hindu festivals in certain areas. With law enforcement agencies now using CCTV footage and drone surveillance to identify miscreants, the administration has vowed to take strict action against those responsible. However, the recurring nature of such incidents signals a worrying trend, demanding strong measures to prevent further communal unrest in Jharkhand.