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The peaceful celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi in Surat took a violent turn when four teenagers allegedly damaged a Ganesh idol, sparking riots and widespread unrest. The incident occurred on the second day of the festival, following the teenagers' alleged stone-pelting at a Ganesh pandal in the Variyavi bazaar area. The teenagers, travelling in an auto-rickshaw, reportedly targeted the idol, causing damage and injuring a man standing nearby. This act of vandalism ignited outrage among the gathered crowd, leading to a chaotic chain of events.
The angered mob rushed towards the Saiyedpura police station, chanting slogans demanding the immediate arrest of the accused teenagers. The situation escalated quickly, with the mob resorting to stone-pelting and setting parked vehicles on fire. In response, police deployed a large contingent, resorting to lathi-charging to control the volatile crowd. The unrest spread beyond the immediate vicinity of the police station, with the mob's anger spilling over into the surrounding neighborhoods. Fear and tension gripped the city as the unrest unfolded.
Amidst the chaos, senior government officials, including the Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, Surat North BJP MLA Kanti Balar, Surat Mayor Daxesh Mavani, and Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut, rushed to the scene to assess the situation and attempt to quell the unrest. Sanghavi addressed the mob, assuring them that the perpetrators would be apprehended and dealt with swiftly and firmly. He emphasized that the government would not tolerate any attempts to disrupt peace and harmony in the state. His words, while attempting to reassure the public, did little to ease the palpable tension.