Udaipur is once again experiencing communal unrest after a violent incident involving two students. On August 16 a knife attack by Muslim student left a Hindu student injured leading to protests and calls for a bandh by Hindu groups. The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2022 murder of Kanhaiya Lal reigniting tensions in the city.
The violent altercation took place in Udaipur’s Surajpol area at around 10:30 AM. A 15-year-old student was stabbed multiple times by a classmate reportedly belonging to the Muslim community. Both students who were once friends had a disagreement that escalated outside the school during lunchtime. The injured boy stabbed in the thigh was quickly rushed to Maharana Bhupal (MB) Hospital by concerned teachers. His condition is critical and he remains in the ICU.
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Public Reaction and Protests
The incident caused immediate protest among Hindu organizations who took to the streets demanding justice. Shops in areas like Chetak Circle, Hathipole, Bapu Bazaar and Ghantaghar were forced to close as protests spread. The situation escalated when protesters vandalized property, set a garage on fire and overturned vehicles in Sardarpura. The authorities responded by deploying police forces across the city with Udaipur District Magistrate Arvind Poswal imposing Section 144 to prevent further violence.
BREAKING: Massive outrage and communal tension in Udaipur, Rajasthan, after a Dalit Hindu minor student, studying in the 10th standard, was brutally attacked by an Islamist student inside the school premises. The perpetrator assaulted him multiple times with knife.
— Treeni (@TheTreeni) August 16, 2024
Entire… pic.twitter.com/E8f3hflOrj
In response to the incident of knife attack on Hindu Student By Muslim Student the father of the Muslim student involved was arrested by the police. The district education officer stated that both students were enrolled in the same Government Senior Secondary School and were classmates. The exact cause of their dispute remains unclear but it quickly spiraled into a violent confrontation. The mother of the injured student has been in distress since the attack repeatedly fainting as she struggles to cope with the situation.
A City on Edge: Echoes of the Kanhaiya Lal Murder
The incident has revived memories of the chilling murder of Hindu tailor Kanhaiya Lal in June 2022. Lal was brutally killed by two Islamists after expressing support for BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on social media. The attackers filmed the murder and circulated it online causing horror. The current knife attack on Hindu student by Muslim student in Udaipur is being viewed by many as a similarly targeted act further stoking communal tensions.
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