Several shops were demolished by bulldozers on Friday, 15 April, in Gujarat's Khambhat, where clashes erupted during a Ram Navami procession on 10 April.
"It is a routine exercise. Illegal properties and encroachments were weeded out," officials said as the shops were razed.
This comes after a similar demolition drive in Madhya Pradesh, where houses of many accused in communal clashes were razed a day after Ram Navami.
Sub-divisional magistrate of Khambhat's Anand district, Nirupa Gadhavi, called the shops "unauthorised structures" that were creating hurdles in commuting.
"We have been given directions by the DM and the SP to remove unauthorised structures that are causing hurdles in the commute of people to maintain a peaceful environment," she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
One person was killed and another sustained injuries after communal clashes erupted in Khambhat on Sunday on the occasion of Ram Navami.
The police said that nine people had been arrested so far in connection with the violence in the city.
"Nine people were arrested for alleged involvement in pre-planned violence and stone-pelting during Ram Navami procession in Khambat. The accused were brought from outside and were assured of all kinds of legal and financial help," said Superintendent of Police (SP) of Anand Ajit Rajyan.
Similar clashes also ensued in the state's Himmatnagar and Dwarka, with at least 15 people being arrested in the former municipality.
Similar Drive Conducted in MP's Khargone
The demolition drive in Khambhat comes after a similar one was carried out in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone on 13 April. A day after communal clashes erupted in the city on Ram Navami, the district administration demolished at least 16 houses and 29 shops, mostly owned by members of the Muslim community, citing their involvement in stone pelting and clashes.
As many as 77 people have been arrested in the city with regard to the case.
Apart from Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, communal clashes were also reported from Jharkhand and West Bengal during celebrations of the Hindu festival on 10 April.
(With inputs from ANI.)
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