Rajkot: Nine persons were injured in a clash between two groups that erupted over an alleged desecration of Hindu goddess over Facebook and Instagram in Netra village of Nakhatrana taluka in Kutch district on Sunday night.Members of Dalit group allegedly wrote derogatory statements underneath the photograph of the Hindu goddess that sparked tension between the group and upper caste Hindus.“Both groups — the Dalits and the upper caste Hindus — confronted each other over the issue twice on Sunday evening and night. They pelted stones at each other and attacked each other with axes, knives, bats and iron pipes,” said an official from Nakhatrana police station.Those injured in the clash were identified as Naresh Balia, Lalji Gandher and Amit Balia from the Dalit group and Rajesh Joshi, Rahulsinh Rajput, Mayur Chauhan, Sanjay Chauhan, Swarupsinh Sodha and Hitesh Thakkar from the upper caste Hindu group.Police have booked eight members from the Dalit group on the complaint of Joshi. “In his complaint, Joshi has accused Amit, Gandher, Bipin Siju and Siddharth Gandher alias Prakash from the Dalit group of hurting religious sentiments of the Hindus by defaming the goddess on social media. Joshi has alleged that while he along with other members of his group tried to reason with the accused, the rival group hurled abuses at them and attacked them,” added an official. In the cross-complaint, lodged by Naresh from the Dalit group, he has claimed that the upper caste Hindus accused them of the crime without any proof and attacked them.

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