Gir Somnath: Una Police booked a self-proclaimed social activist Kajal Hindustani on Sunday for allegedly giving a provocative speech that hurt the sentiments of the minority community and caused rioting in Kumbharwada on Saturday.

In another separate FIR, 76 people with identified names and 200 unnamed people were booked for rioting and vandalism, which created a tense atmosphere in the town.

Hindustani is booked under IPC sections 295(A) for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings by insulting a religion or religious belief. The speech was delivered at an event organized by the Ram Krishna Janm Samiti on March 30 during Ram Navami celebrations.

The police detained 60 of the 76 individuals charged with rioting and invoked section 120(B) related to criminal conspiracy.

The police sub-inspector RR Gadchar claimed in the complaint that the accused had planned to vandalize vehicles and houses with iron pipes, swords, glass bottles, and stones after Hindustani’s speech. The area remains calm, and the police have conducted intense combing operations and foot patrolling to prevent any further escalation of tension.

A large number of swords, knives, and glass bottles were seized during the combing operation, according to a senior official of Gir-Somnath police.

Sripal Sheshma, in-charge superintendent of police (SP), Gir-Somnath, is present in the town to monitor the law and order situation. Approximately 200 cops, including an SRP company, have been deployed to strengthen the security measures. DeshGujarat