BHARATIYA JANATA Party MLA Laxman Singh Gaud has criticised the promises made by Collector Vivek Aggrawal to the Muslims at Karbala Maidan. To show that the Karbala Maidan did not belong to Muslims alone, Gaud announced that he would be holding a mass feast (Bhandara) of 50,000 persons and a Bhajan Sandhya on Hanuman Jayanti at the same venue. Gaud said that the land belonged to the government and not to any particular community.
On Tuesday night, when there was tension in the air and imminent danger of riots, Aggrawal had appealed to the Muslims to vacate the Karbala grounds peacefully, and while making the request he had also promised that he would try his best to meet some of the demands of the Muslims related to Karbala grounds, prominent among them being the making a boundary wall.
Gaud said that the promises were made by a man under threat from the armed Muslim mob, and added that none of the announcements would be allowed to be fulfilled.
Gaud also criticised that vandalism by the Muslims that night near Karbala Maidan after immersion of Tazias and pointed out that historically the Tazias were immersed at Kadavghat. But one year when there was no water, a temporary arrangement was made to immerse them at the Karbala Maidan, and later on a three-day fair was also started at the grounds.
Stating that he had no objection to the fair, Gaud said that this did not mean that the Muslims would not allow Hindus to pray at the Hanuman Chabutara. He alleged that Muslims youths while coming to the Karbala Maidan with their Tazias had thrown stones at the Hanuman temple at Pandrinath and Harsiddhi Mata Mandir, but some brave Hindus had protected these temples and prevented the situation from getting out of hand.
Stating that he had no objection to the fair, Gaud said that this did not mean that the Muslims would not allow Hindus to pray at the Hanuman Chabutara. He alleged that Muslims youths while coming to the Karbala Maidan with their Tazias had thrown stones at the Hanuman temple at Pandrinath and Harsiddhi Mata Mandir, but some brave Hindus had protected these temples and prevented the situation from getting out of hand.