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‘Khoon ki Holi’ fears, unremoved hate posts, Muslims ‘planning to leave’: Delhi's Uttam Nagar tense ahead of Eid
Holi clashes between different communities in Uttam Nagar, Delhi, have led to tensions ahead of Eid, with threats and inflammatory statements from groups.
Uttam Nagar in Delhi remains tense ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, days after the death of a 26-year old man in clashes between community, amid what locals described were threats by leaders and religious groups to play ‘Khoon ki Holi’. The tensions stem from the death of a man in a fight between two families from different communities on the festival of Holi earlier this month.
With Eid now approaching and threats sounded, several Muslim families said they were planning to leave the locality until the situation normalises, HT reported earlier.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday agreed to hear later in the day a petition seeking directions to the Delhi Police to enhance patrolling and security in Uttam Nagar area following apprehensions of potential violence raised by members of the Muslim community in view of upcoming Eid.
The initial clashes broke out on March 4 when an 11-year-old girl threw a water balloon that hit a Muslim woman, triggering an altercation. Tarun Kumar, 26, succumbed to injuries he received in the clashes four days later. Police have so far arrested 14 people and apprehended two minors in connection with the case.
‘Khoon ki holi’ threat
Speaking to HT on Tuesday, Jameel Ahmad, 55, owner of Miya Ji restaurant, said his family has lived in Uttam Nagar for more than 50 years and is now scared that they will pay the price for what mistake of others. He described the issue as a long-running dispute between two families, adding that some leaders have warned they will play 'khoon ki Holi’, indicating bloodbath.
“I have three children and seven grandchildren. We are all scared because we have seen leaders say they will play ‘khoon Ki Holi’. We have nowhere to go,” the earlier HT report quoted Ahmad as saying.
“Religious leaders who visited during some condolence meetings threatened us. The murder is not a communal matter. They have always fought with each other. I am scared that all of us will pay the price for their [accused’s] mistakes. We are living in peace, but outsiders are threatening us. We see videos and they are scary. My children keep telling me that we need to leave for Eid. Two families who live near our house on rent have already left,” he said.
Security upped, inflammatory content, threats not removed
While Delhi Police said they are holding meetings with residents and claimed nobody they spoke to shared plans of leaving the area before Eid out of fear, a bunch of hate content linked to Uttam Nagar as well as posts carrying open threats surfaced on social media. These remained unremoved as on Monday.
Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka), Kushal Pal Singh, appealed to residents to remain in the area and assured of adequate safety arrangements for the festival.
Delhi police have also barricaded the entire Hastsal Village area, with each lane “covered” by temporary barricades guarded by a policeman. However, as of Monday, no FIR has been lodged against those issuing threats, and police officials are yet to take action against any video creators.
Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Kushal Pal Singh did not respond to queries seeking comment on the multiple protests, videos, and threats, HT reported earlier.
A senior police officer, speaking anonymously, told HT: “We have barricaded the area and protesters are removed if they try to enter the village or raise communal slogans. As of now, we are verifying these videos. Some of the people in the videos are not from Delhi.”
Locals said groups of protesters have visited the locality nearly every day chanting slogans such as “Desh ke gaddaro ko…goli maaro saalo ko [Shoot those who are traitors]” and “Jihadi murdabad.”
At a protest staged outside the JJ colony in Uttam Nagar on Sunday, posts on X showed people shouting slogans. Delhi Police officials confirmed that the protest took place outside Swami Ayyappa Park in Uttam Nagar. In a 54-second video from the protest, shared on X on Monday, a protester can be heard saying: “I just need 5 minutes. If police remove these barricades, we will show what we can do. Everything will be over.”
In another 35-second video posted on Sunday, another man (from the same protest) says: “During Eid, we will cut pigs and throw them in front of their houses. We will ensure they chant Jai Shri Ram. All 25 of them should be ‘encountered’.”
On Monday, a social media user, posted a 30-second video on Instagram in which he was seen holding a knife and saying, “If you want to save yourselves, give Tarun justice. Otherwise, neither Delhi Police nor Delhi CM Rekha Gupta will survive. And keep in mind, Haryana CM wants surgical strike… We will slaughter them.”.
None of these posts have been removed as of late Monday evening.
A local resident of Hastsal Village told HT: “They keep chanting inflammatory slogans outside our houses. We can’t even leave our lane. Police are here but these men come and threaten us every day. Will they not allow us to celebrate Eid? The fight was between two families. What have we done?”
Twenty-two-year-old Farzana, another resident of Uttam Nagar, who goes by a single name, said, “I have been living here for more than 20 years, but it’s strange when your neighbours don’t talk nicely to you. We don’t want to leave but Eid is special for us and we can’t stay here."
Farzana said there are threats of violence and attacks every day, adding that they do not support violence and have nothing to do with the case. We are thinking of leaving for a few days only, she added.
