Barring an incident of stone-pelting in Moradabad and minor incidents of clash in Agra, Auriya and Gorakhpur, the Yaum-e-Ashura or tenth Day of Muharram passed off peacefully in the state on Monday.
Meanwhile, a youth in Muharram procession died in Moradabad of electrocution when the
alam (a banner) he carried touched high-tension wire overhead.
Muslims observe Muharram to commemorate the sacrifice of the Imam Husain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. Tazias are taken out in procession and are buried in symbolic Karbalas.
In Uttar Pradesh, processions were taken out throughout the state. Elaborate security arrangements were made in the state, especially in sensitive areas. The government deployed additional security forces in Meerut, Moradabad, Agra, Aligarh, Bareliy, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Faizabad, Allahabad, Azamgarh and Varanasi to maintain law and order.
In Lucknow, decorated Tazias and colorful replicas of Imam Hussein's tomb at Karbala were carried in processions for burial at different parts in the city. The Shia community took out a large procession from the Nazim sahib Imamabara.
An incident of clash took place in a rural area in Lucknow on late on Sunday night when in village Chillawan under Sarojininagar police station jurisdiction area some youth of the minority community beat drums and some other music instruments. Some other community members raised objections to the playing of the music and they two groups came to blows and people from both were injured. Police, who were informed, reached the spot and pacified the groups but also registered cases against some of those who fought.
An incident occurred in Agro around the same time as that Lucknow incident when in Ahetemaddullah area under Yumuna Bridge Station Road Police Station when argument ensued between two groups when one decided not to hold a Tazia procession. One group had decided so because one of their members had died in previous fight on December 25. However, the police intervened and quelled the fight.
In Moradabad a clash occurred when an associated procession (Mehndi ka juloos) got delayed a bit on Monday in Behjoi area. This caused angry response from a group of people. Police tried to strike peace by pacifying the two group members. However, around 12.30 pm some people pelted stones. This escalated tension and a senior police officer and district magistrate reached the spot.
In another part of the town, a 35-year-old boy Naseem died of electrocution when the alam (a banner) he carried touched an overhead high-tension wire. He died on the spot.