Tension gripped Chomu town in Jaipur district late on Thursday night after the removal of stones from outside a mosque near the bus stand triggered clashes between sections of local residents and the police, prompting swift security measures to prevent further escalation.Officials said the stones, which had been lying outside the mosque for a long period, were removed following discussions that initially involved mutual consent from concerned parties. The situation remained calm during the early stages of the exercise. Trouble began when a group objected to the removal, leading to a heated exchange that quickly spiralled into confrontation. As the argument intensified, police personnel deployed in the area were met with resistance, forcing them to intervene to restore order.
According to police accounts, the dispute escalated when some individuals began shouting slogans and gathering supporters, creating a volatile atmosphere in the crowded bus stand area. Law enforcement officers attempted to disperse the crowd and prevent the situation from spreading to nearby commercial establishments and residential lanes. During the confrontation, stones were reportedly thrown, and police resorted to mild force to push back the crowd and secure the area.
Senior officials said additional police units were rushed to Chomu from nearby stations as a precaution. Barricades were erected around sensitive points, and patrols were intensified through the night to ensure that tensions did not spill over into other parts of the town. No fatalities were reported, though a few people, including police personnel, sustained minor injuries during the scuffle and were treated at local health facilities.
District administration officials emphasised that the decision to remove the stones was not sudden and had followed earlier consultations aimed at easing congestion near the bus stand. The stones had been placed outside the mosque years ago and were seen by authorities as an obstruction in a high-traffic zone. Officials maintained that the move was administrative in nature and not directed against any religious structure or practice.
Local leaders and community elders were called in late at night to help calm tempers and appeal for restraint. Police said these efforts played a role in preventing the situation from worsening. By early morning, the area had returned to a tense calm, with shops reopening under police watch and public transport services resuming cautiously.
The incident has brought renewed attention to the fragile nature of communal harmony in small towns where public spaces are shared closely by different communities. Administrators said that even routine civic actions can become flashpoints if communication breaks down or if misinformation spreads rapidly. Officers acknowledged that the speed with which crowds formed underscored the need for constant engagement with local stakeholders before undertaking changes in sensitive locations.
State-level authorities sought detailed reports from the Jaipur district administration on the sequence of events, crowd response, and police action. They also directed officials to ensure that law and order was maintained without the use of excessive force and that grievances from all sides were heard. Legal action, police said, would be taken against individuals found to have instigated violence or damaged public property, following due process.
Residents living near the bus stand described a night of anxiety as rumours circulated and police sirens echoed through the area. Some shopkeepers said they pulled down shutters as a precaution, fearing damage to their establishments. Others expressed concern that misunderstandings over civic issues were increasingly being framed along communal lines, making everyday life uncertain.