Indian Police have been guarding more than 150 mosques in India’s north-eastern state Tripura after right-wing groups vandalized four mosques and attacked Muslims and their properties in apparent revenge for deadly violence against Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh.
The attacks followed a rally taken out by the hardline Hindu organisation, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) – a close ally of the BJP.
Authorities have banned gatherings of more than four people in the tensest parts of the state while police have issued warnings about "provocative messages" spreading on social media.
Tripura is ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi since 2018 after 25 years of communist rule.
Tripura has 850-km-long border with Muslim-majority Bangladesh, where seven people were killed when a mob ransacked a Hindu temple this month.
The riots, sparked by footage of Islamic Holy Book – Quran being placed on the knee of a Hindu god during celebrations for a Hindu festival, spread to 12 districts in Bangladesh.
However, Bangladesh police have said they arrested about 500 suspects in connection with attacks on Hindu temples and other properties including the Muslim who allegedly placed the Quran on the knee of the Hindu idol.
