Nahan (HP), Jun 13 (PTI) At least 10 people, including policemen, were injured in stone pelting by two groups that clashed in Himachal Pradesh's Poanta Sahib area in Sirmaur district over the alleged elopement of a Hindu-Muslim couple.

Local Hindu outfits have been protesting for over four days in Poanta Sahib town, claiming it to be a case of "love jihad". Police has made additional deployment of force to maintain law and order in the area.

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Family members of the 18-year-old woman claimed the couple allegedly ran away on June 4 on the 19-year-old man's bidding and lodged a complaint with the police.

On Friday, protestors which included members of local Hindu organisations blocked the Nahan-Paonta Highway for about an hour at Majra, 25 km From Nahan, demanding strict action in the case.

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In the evening, as soon as the crowd of protesters started moving towards the Muslim man's house, there was stone pelting from the other side, to which the protesters, too, responded with stone pelting from their side.

Police used force to stop the stone-pelting. Over ten people, which included women and some cops, were injured in the incident, sources said.

Terming the elopement as another case of "love jihad", members of local Hindu outfits alleged that the police and administration are being lax in the matter and have not traced the woman.

"Love jihad" is a term often used by right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.

BJP state president Rajiv Bindal who reached the spot along with local BJP MLA Sukhram Chaudhary slammed the police action on the protesters, saying many people, including women from Hindu organisations, were injured in the lathicharge.

They accused the Congress government in the state of responding to the "love jihad by caning the family of the victim".

"The protest would continue and intensify till the girl is recovered and action is taken against those who pelted stones on Hindu organisations. Villagers would sit on dharna in front of the police station on Saturday morning," Bindal said.

Women and men who are peacefully demanding justice for the family of the Hindu girl who is a victim of "love jihad" were hit with stones and lathis, Bindal said.

Those responsible will have to answer for this injustice, he said.

Sirmaur Superintendent of Police Nishchay Singh Negi told media persons that the situation is tense but completely under control and additional police force has been deployed to ensure that no untoward incident takes place.

He also appealed to all parties to maintain peace and have full faith in the police.

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