Gujarat violence: Rioters held after cops broke down doors of houses, says minister

Gandhinagar, Sep 26 (PTI) Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi on Friday said every rioter involved in the Bahiyal village incident has been arrested, many of them held after the doors of their homes were broken down.

Sanghavi who visited Bahiyal village in Dehgam taluka of Gandhinagar this evening to participate in a Navratri function said authorities will also recover damages from rioters.

A video clip of Gandhinagar police breaking down the door of a house to arrest an alleged rioter has gone viral on X.

"Rioters attacked a garba venue, damaged vehicles and shops and pelted stones in Bahiyal two days ago. None these rioters, who were hiding in their homes, on water tanks and different places, were spared by Gandhinagar police. Doors of houses of rioters were broken down and everybody involved was arrested," Sanghavi told reporters.

"We will also recover the cost of damages from the rioters. We will identify them from CCTV footages and fine them," said Sanghavi, who also prayed to Ma Amba in the village.

Police have arrested over 60 people for riots so far, officials said.

"A social media post by a Hindu man on the ongoing trend 'I love Mohammad' enraged the minority community which led to the attack," Gandhinagar SP Ravi Teja Vasamsetty had told reporters on Thursday.

"At around 11 pm (Wednesday), a large group broke the shutters of a shop belonging to the person who had put a social media post as his status on social media. They took out goods from his shop and burnt them. The group later pelted stones on Hindu areas, after which Hindus retaliated," he had said. PTI PD BNM