Attack on Indore bangle seller prelude to polarisation ahead of assembly polls: Chidambaram

The Congress on Tuesday said the Indore incident involving the beating up of a bangle seller is a prelude to "inciting communal conflict and polarisation" ahead of next year's assembly elections.

The opposition party also asked whether there was any rule of law in force, and said the goons are insulting the great Hindu culture.

A 25-year-old man selling bangles on the streets was beaten up by a mob in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city on Sunday.

"These incidents are a prelude to inciting communal conflict, violence and polarisation in the run up to the next round of state elections," said senior Congress leader P Chidambaram.

"Ghaziabad, Kanpur and now Indore. Who are these persons who are emboldened to decide what is right and what is wrong," he asked.

"If the State Home Minister will justify mob violence and vigilante justice, why is he remaining in the chair of Home Minister," the former union minister said.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, the poor bangle seller will be beaten up and sent to jail too.

"These goons are insulting the great Hindu culture by spreading violence. Shame on you, is this the rule of law," he asked in a tweet in Hindi.

Three persons have been arrested on charges of assaulting the bangle seller, but the episode took a new turn when he himself was later booked under the POCSO Act for allegedly touching a 13-year-old girl inappropriately and was detained, officials said.

The bangle seller identified as Tasleem Ali was also accused of possessing fake documents related to his identity, they said.

The officials said the minor girl filed a complaint with the Banganga police station in Indore against Ali, alleging he introduced himself as Golu, son of Mohan Singh to sell bangles at her home on Sunday and after describing her as very beautiful, he touched her inappropriately.

When the girl raised an alarm, her mother rushed out of home and when the bangle seller tried to escape from the spot, neighbours and other local residents caught and thrashed him, they said, adding three persons were arrested for assaulting him.