Communal clashes broke out in four states - Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal - during processions yesterday to mark Ram Navami - the festival celebrating the birth of Hindu God Ram. Parts of Madhya Pradesh's Khargone were placed under curfew after violence and arson during a Ram Navami procession, a senior official said. Police have been deployed in large numbers to prevent any flare-up.
