Vivek Agnihotri surprised at 'UK Police's Navratri tweet'; ‘Who had thought…’

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri wondered who would have thought that Hindus will need police protection to celebrate Navratri and Diwali – in the context of the recent incidents of violence in the UK.

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri on Friday shared a tweet apparently made by the East Leicester Police days after violence broke out between Hindus and Muslims following a recent India-Pakistan cricket match. Sharing the purported tweet in which the police seemed to have ensured strong police presence during the Navratri and Diwali celebrations, the filmmaker said, "Who had thought that a day will come when Hindu community will need police protection to celebrate their most inclusive festivals?"

Vivek Agnihotri commented on the recent Leicester violence and the attack on a Hindu temple in Birmingham.  (PTI)

"This is evidence enough that the enemy is around us and the threat is real," the filmmaker said, tweeting the post from the unverified account of the East Leicester Police. "We are encouraging people to prepare for Navratri and Diwali as normal, A visible and strengthened police presence will be there for all communities," the text of the purported police tweet said.

The UK Police made 47 arrests after the violent clashes; a 20-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon during clashes.