Communal tensions escalate

THIRD FLARE-UP IN FOUR DAYS | Clashes erupt over religious flags in Bharuch

For the third time in four days, communal tensions have flared in Gujarat, with Bharuch becoming the latest site of conflict. Early Wednesday morning, a confrontation broke out between two communities in the Gokulnagar area over the installation of religious flags. This follows the stone-pelting incident at a Ganesha pandal in Syedpura, Surat, and a similar episode of unrest in Vadodara, raising concerns about the peace and stability in the state.

The situation in Bharuch turned volatile when residents, observing Ganeshotsav and preparing for the upcoming Eid-e-Milad festival, began putting up religious flags and pylons in Gokulnagar, a neighborhood inhabited by both Hindu and Muslim communities. Despite prior appeals from community leaders and authorities to avoid placing pylons near each other's homes, tensions escalated when flags were installed, drawing crowds from both sides. What started as a dispute over the flags quickly devolved into clashes, with both groups reportedly engaging in altercations.