A green flag put up at a temple in a village in Maharashtra`s Beed district briefly triggered tension in the area, police said on Tuesday. Later, the police spoke to local residents belonging to two different communities on Monday and brought the situation under control, they said. A festival was held in Pachegaon village of Beed and an annual yatra was taken out from the Kanifnath temple there on the occasion of Gudi Padwa on Sunday. Some persons put up a green flag at the temple besides a saffron flag on Monday, when Eid was celebrated. This led to tension in the village for sometime, an official from Georai police station. The police later spoke to members of two different communities in the village and both the flags were removed from the religious structure, the official said. No case has been registered in this connection, the official said. Maharashtra has witnessed several instances communal unrest since January 2025, with violent clashes in Nagpur and tensions sparked by demands for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb, along with the spread of misinformation on social media, officials reported. According to police officials, 156 criminal cases related to communal unrest were registered in January, 99 in February, and 78 until mid-March. Of these, 102 were classified as cognizable crimes related to religious disputes. In total, Maharashtra recorded 4,836 Hindu-Muslim-related communal incidents in 2024, with 170 categorized as cognizable crimes and 3,106 as non-cognizable cases. Additionally, 371 incidents were linked to religious insults. One of the most significant incidents occurred in Nagpur on March 17, where mobs went on a rampage following a protest by Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad. The protestors demanded the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb, branding it as a “symbol of pain and slavery.”
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently told the state legislature that the upcoming film “Chhaava,” starring Vicky Kaushal and based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, had reignited public emotions against Aurangzeb. Authorities have identified inflammatory social media posts and rumors as key instigators of communal tensions. Maharashtra Cyber has flagged 144 links across Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube that carried incendiary content related to the Nagpur riots. Of these, 37 links were removed, while action was taken against 107 others by issuing notifications. The recent one happened on Monday after a scuffle broke out between groups belonging from two different communities during a Gudi Padwa 2025 procession in the western suburbs.As per PTI, the incident took place on Sunday during the Gudi Padwa 2025 celebrations in the Pathanwadi locality of Kurar in Malad (West). Police have booked nine people involved in the incident. A group of people allegedly thrashed two men travelling with a saffron flag in an autorickshaw near a mosque while the Gudi Padwa 2025 procession was underway and a scuffle ensued between the two groups, triggering tensions in the area. Police reached the scene and brought the situation under control, an official stated.
Reacting to the incident, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam demanded that the houses of "jihadis" who tried to engineer "riots" on Sunday should be bulldozed. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray urged people to unite under the Marathi identity instead of dividing along the caste and community lines. At the MNS’s annual Gudi Padwa rally at Shivaji Park, Thackeray delivered a fiery speech, hitting out at attempts to disrupt communal harmony, raising concerns over river pollution, and warning of strict action against those disrespecting the Marathi language. He urged people to unite under the Marathi identity instead of dividing along caste and community lines and emphasised that Marathi must be used in daily interactions. “MNS will deal in its own style with anyone disrespecting Marathi,” he warned. Taking a dig at those suddenly realising the bravery of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj after watching the recently released film Chhaava, Thackeray said, “Some people have woken up after watching a movie. Their Hindutva will fade once the film leaves theatres." He suggested that all structures around Aurangzeb’s grave be removed, with only a board left at the site stating: “The one who tried to destroy the Marathas is buried here.” He also proposed organising school trips to the site to educate the younger generation. “Out of Mumbai’s five rivers, four are already dead, and the fifth is on the verge of dying. What is the Pollution Control Board doing?” Thackeray slammed the Mahayuti government for failing to fulfil poll promises, such as farm loan waivers and the Rs 2100 monthly payment under the Ladki Bahin scheme. “Ajit Pawar is asking farmers to clear dues, but where are the promises made?” he questioned.