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.
{{/usCountry}}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.
{{/usCountry}}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.