The Madhya Pradesh Police has arrested four persons following communal tensions in Ratlam district after a banner with the words “Hindu Rashtra” was allegedly burnt during a Muharram procession on Sunday, reported PTI.

The alleged incident took place in the Sailana area, about 20 km from the district headquarters.

The four persons were arrested on charges of promoting enmity between groups and acts prejudicial to maintaining harmony, Ratlam Assistant Superintendent of Police Rakesh Khakha told The Times of India.

Those arrested were identified as Ajju Shah, Bablu Shah, Shehzad and Bhayyu, the newspaper reported.

“All four of them were sent to jail after being produced before the court,” said Khakha.

After a video of the alleged incident was circulated on social media, several Hindutva organisations staged a protest and called for a bandh, demanding that those involved be booked under the National Security Act, which allows for long periods of detention without a trial.

Protesters gathered at a major intersection in Sailana and recited the Sunderkand, a chapter from the Hindu epic Ramayana, according to PTI.

Shops and markets in the town remained closed on Monday.