E-Paper
Uttar Pradesh: Graves desecrated , folk deity’s idol damaged in Hathras
Communal tension simmers in the district as the news of the two separate incidents spread
Communal tension ran high in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district after three Muslim graves were desecrated by unidentified miscreants and an idol of a folk deity was allegedly vandalised in two separate incidents on Friday.
The incidents come just days after firebrand Hindu-monk turned-politician Yogi Adityanath became chief minister of the state that has a history of communal violence.
After Friday’s prayers, members of the Muslim community took out a march to protest the sacrilege of the graves at the district’s Sikandrarao area.
They also submitted a memorandum, addressed to governor Ram Naik, to the sub-divisional magistrate.
Another group gheraoed the kotwali police station and demanded immediate action against the culprits. Circle officer RK Vashisht pacified the agitated crowd.
Station in-charge of Sikandrarao police station Rajveer Singh, said, “An FIR was registered against unidentified persons in the case.”
Immediately after getting information about the incident, Singh and town in-charge Vipin Yadav reached the spot with a large posse of police personnel to maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, residents of Bisawar village in Sadabad area of the district claimed that some anti-social elements damaged idol of Baba Jahar Veer (worshipped as a warrior-hero) in the village’s Nagla Chatti locality.
Police, however, denied having any information about the incident.
“When the devotees went inside the temple, they found that Baba Jahar Veer’s idol had been damaged,” claimed a resident of the area.
Condemning the incident, the villagers also called a panchayat to discuss the matter.
