Tension flared in Ahilyanagar’s Miliwada area on Sunday night after graffiti with the words “I love Muhammad” appeared on a roadside rangoli in the Milliwada area late on Sunday night. A video of the graffiti went viral by morning, sparking protests from local Muslim youths who blocked the busy Ahilyanagar–Sambhaji highway. Police intervened to clear the blockade and resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

Commenting on the violence, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said there appeared to be an attempt to deliberately create social tension. “We will have to see if there is a conspiracy behind this. We also need to see who is trying to spoil the social environment. Is anyone trying to polarise us in the same way that was attempted during the Lok Sabha elections? Ever

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