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Constable injured as two groups of Kanwariyas clash in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut
Police counselled the two groups and warned them against repeating such behaviour before allowing them to continue their journey
An Uttar Pradesh Police constable was injured when a group of Kanwariyas allegedly assaulted him as he tried to stop a clash between two groups of devotees participating in the Kanwar Yatra in Meerut in the early hours of Tuesday. Some Kanwariyas received minor injuries, with videos of the clash going viral on social media.
The clash broke out around 3am after a motorcycle carrying two Kanwariyas collided with a group of devotees returning from Haridwar with the Ganga water. The collision triggered an argument, which quickly escalated into a physical fight.
The constable, Dinesh Kumar, rushed to the spot. Police said Kanwariyas pushed and assaulted him. One of them allegedly hit Kumar on the head with a stick. Additional police forces were rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Inspector Suman Singh counselled both groups and warned them against repeating such behaviour before allowing them to continue their journey. Police seized two scooters and one motorcycle found abandoned at the spot.
Videos of the incident circulated on social media, purportedly showed a group of Kanwariyas dragging two men out of a police jeep and assaulting them with sticks. They showed a policeman attempting to intervene as the two men are beaten and their clothes torn. One of them is seen trying to flee towards an open field before being chased.
Meerut police superintendent Vinayak Gopal Bhonsale denied allegations that police personnel were involved in assaulting anyone. Bhonsale said two groups clashed, and police rushed to the spot promptly, brought the situation under control, conducted medical examinations, and allowed the devotees to go after counselling.
On Monday, a group of Kanwariyas allegedly ransacked and threw stones at a van carrying schoolchildren in Lucknow.
The annual Kanwar Yatra commenced on Thursday last amid elaborate security arrangements. Millions of devotees arrived in Haridwar to collect holy water from the Ganga to offer at Shiva temples in their native places on Shivratri. Authorities have deployed over 6,000 police personnel and central paramilitary forces across Haridwar, Rishikesh and other major pilgrimage routes for the two-week-long yatra.
The administration expects over 50 million devotees during the yatra, which will continue from July 30 to August 11.
