Ranchi, Mar 15 (PTI) Twenty-two people have been arrested for allegedly being involved in a clash during a Holi procession in Jharkhand's Giridih district, police said on Saturday.

Several people were injured, and many shops and vehicles torched after the clash broke out between two groups during the procession on Friday in the Ghorthamba locality.

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"Twenty-two people have been arrested from both sides in connection to the case," Khorimahua sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Rajendra Prasad said.

He said four makeshift shops, five motorcycles and two four-wheelers were torched during the clash.

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Earlier, Giridih SP Bimal Kumar had said that a manhunt was launched to nab those involved in the clash.

"The situation is completely under control. The persons involved in the incident are being identified, and a search is on to nab them. Stern action will be taken against them," he said.

Police personnel in large numbers have also been deployed to maintain peace in the area, he said.

Jharkhand BJP chief and Leader of Opposition in the assembly Babulal Marandi blamed the JMM-led government for the incident.

"The tragic incident of stone pelting and arson on a Holi procession in Ghorthamba of Giridih is the result of politics of appeasement of the Hemant Soren government and the failure of the administrative system," he alleged in a post on X.

Union Minister Annapurna Devi claimed that the situation worsened due to a lack of vigilance by the local administration.

"The attempt by some anti-social elements to disturb communal harmony on the auspicious occasion of Holi, the festival of love and brotherhood, is unfortunate," the Koderma MP added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)