UN concerned over Jodhpur Hindu-Muslim clashes on Eid

Spokesperson urges Modi govt, security forces to ensure that every group can freely perform their religious activities

The United Nations (UN) has expressed disquiet over the Hindu-Muslim clashes in the Indian city of Jodhpur on the festive occasion of Eidul Fitr.

“I think the basic point is our hope that the various communities will work together and that the government and the security forces will ensure that everyone can go about their activities, including their celebratory activities, peacefully,” said Farhan Aziz Haq, deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

He was responding to a question about Tuesday’s violence in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, at the regular noon briefing at UN headquarters in New York.

The tensions resulting from the clashes prompted authorities to suspend mobile internet services and impose a curfew in parts of the city.

Also read: Clashes erupt in Indian capital during Hindu procession

Late last month, clashes broke out during a Hindu religious procession in New Delhi, injuring several people, including policemen, days after similar religious violence in three states.

Eyewitnesses told Reuters that the violence erupted between Muslims and Hindus during the procession in Jahangirpuri, a suburb of New Delhi.

In the same month, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom said that religious freedom had deteriorated "significantly" in India under the Hindu nationalist government, and recommended targeted sanctions over abuses.

It was the third straight year that the commission recommended putting India on a list of "countries of particular concern" -- a recommendation that has angered New Delhi and is virtually certain to be dismissed by the State Department.

(With additional input from Reuters)