Mira-Bhayandar: Communal tensions escalated in Mira Road near Mumbai after Hindu residents intensified protests against Muslim families by bringing a pig to a housing society where sacrificial goats for Eid were being kept, prompting heavy police deployment and the detention of several persons.
The controversy erupted at Poonam Cluster 1 housing society, where Hindu residents objected to a temporary shed built to house more than 50 goats brought for Eid-ul-Adha rituals. Reports said Muslim families in the society had been following the practice for years, while some residents and Hindu right-wing groups opposed the animals being kept inside the premises.
The situation intensified late Monday night after members of the Bajrang Dal reached the society and demanded the removal of the goats. According to reports, arguments broke out between the two sides, and one Bajrang Dal activist sustained injuries during the unrest after an alleged knife attack attempt. Police later registered an FIR against an unidentified person.
Tensions escalated further on Tuesday afternoon when Bajrang Dal activists allegedly brought a pig near the housing complex in a provocative counter-protest, claiming that if goats were allowed inside the society, they too would bring animals considered offensive by the other community. Police intervened before the pig could be taken inside the premises and dispersed the gathering.
Authorities deployed more than 200 police personnel in and around the area to prevent further violence. Several persons were detained in connection with clashes and disturbances, though no major arrests had been reported till Tuesday evening.
Following meetings between both sides and civic authorities, the goats were later shifted to an alternative site identified by the local municipal administration, officials said.
