Aurangabad: Additional director general of police (law and order) Bipin Bihari, who was in Aurangabad to review security arrangements for the three-day long ijtema, told TOI that the increasing number of communal clashes were a cause of concern and all stakeholders must act responsibly.Referring to the recent clashes in the state, he said that there is no one point formula to deal with communal clashes. “There has to be rule of law and action should be initiated against any person involved in breaking it. But merely taking action against the suspects is not the solution to the problem of communal clashes. It is high time that not only religious leaders, but also political and community leaders, media act responsibly to ensure there are no communal clashes,” he told TOI.Maharashtra has witnessed communal clashes since the beginning of the year with violence reported in Bhima Koregaon, Nanded, Aurangabad and Ahmednagar.Communal clashes are basically a societal problem and are to some extent motivated, said Bihari, adding that there are many stakeholders involved and not just the police. “We make best efforts to reach out to each and every community through our outreach programmes. All the stakeholders should have a sailor’s sense and prudence to ensure peace and harmony. Without it, the police efforts to put a check on communal clashes appear to fall short,” said Bihari.Earlier this week, there was tension in Aurangabad after a poster bearing Shivaji Maharaj image was found torn. Stone pelting and instances of vehicle being damaged were reported from parts of Aurangabad.Bihari has served as the assistant superintendent of police at Aurangabad in 1990, before it was bifurcated into district police and commissionorate. On Friday, he was taking a review of the security arrangements in Aurangabad ahead of the three-day ijtema for which thousands of persons have arrived in the city.The senior police officer said that social media is becoming a tool in the hands of miscreants and proving to be dangerous. “Irrespective of whether an incident has taken place or not, the news goes viral. It has become a dangerous tool in the hands of miscreants,” Bihari said.He also expressed concern over young impressionable minds falling prey to the false information being spread through social media. “This is a transition phase and we are evolving ourselves. As of now, we can just be hopeful that there will be a check on the spread of false info through social media,” said Bihari.The senior officer was speaking on the backdrop of recent clashes in the state. Comparing Maharashtra police with their counterparts in other states, he said, “On any scale, Maharashtra police is far ahead, effective and efficient in dealing with any untoward situation, including communal clashes and law and order situations.”

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