Police authorities acknowledged reports of stone-pelting on the procession were false
Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – Incensed over unsubstantiated reports of stone pelting on the Ram Navami procession, hundreds of Hindus went berserk and vandalised several Muslim shops in Uttar Pradesh’s city of Kanpur on Tuesday. Reports reaching here on Wednesday said there was absolutely no case of stone pelting and the Hindu processionists themselves spread the rumours about it and indulged in violence and arson.
Police authorities also called their bluff by acknowledging that the act of vandalism was only based on rumours. About 200 people, including Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and RSS workers, have been booked for hatching a conspiracy to cause riots.
A viral video shows a crowd carrying saffron flags attacking shops and looting their commodities in the city.
Deputy Police Commissioner Shrawan Kumar Singh said that they have not found any evidence of stone pelting on the procession.
“Allegations of stone pelting were levelled but no such thing has come out in our investigation. We are looking into facts and probing how and from where these rumours were spread. No one had injury marks and no one was injured,” media reports quoted him as saying.
Uttar Pradesh Congress slammed the Yogi Adityanath government stating that such incidents are the result of communal politics being played by the BJP.
“Some Hindu organisations had blamed the Muslim community for the alleged stone pelting during the Ram Navami procession in Kanpur. The police have denied these allegations. In the same case, another video has surfaced in which people involved in the procession are seen vandalising while passing through a Muslim area,” the party said posting the video of the vandalism.
कानपुर में रामनवमी के दिन निकली शोभायात्रा में हुए कथित पथराव के मामले में कुछ हिन्दू संगठनों ने मुस्लिम समुदाय पर आरोप लगाया था। पुलिस ने इन आरोपों का खण्डन किया है।
— UP Congress (@INCUttarPradesh) April 8, 2025
उसी मामले में एक दूसरा वीडियो सामने आया है। जिसमें शोभायात्रा में शामिल लोग मुस्लिम इलाके से गुजरते वक़्त… pic.twitter.com/YVHmaoAYlH
“Such pictures of anarchy will surely come to the fore in a government that makes political gains by playing the Hindu-Muslim card. If these useless people do not do such politics, then their political vehicle will not be able to run,” it added.
Apart from this incident, the Kanpur police have filed several FIRs in different incidents related to the Ram Navami procession.
According to a report in the Hindustan newspaper, so far, the police have swiftly registered nine cases related to mischief during the Ram Navami procession, playing DJ music above the permitted volume, and other allegations.
In Rawatpur, Moolganj, Chakeri, Fazalganj, and Panki, the police have named 45 individuals and filed cases against 140 unidentified people. Three cases have been registered in Rawatpur, two in Panki, two in Moolganj, and one each in Chakeri and Fazalganj.
In Moolganj, cases have been filed for spreading rumours of stone-pelting during the procession. In Rawatpur, cases involve allegations such as throwing a shoe, obstructing the procession, clashing with the police, and engaging in physical altercations. Moolganj police are searching for a YouTuber accused of spreading the rumour.
According to the first FIR filed by Sub-Inspector Shailendra Kumar, he was present at Ashok Vatika Chauraha around 2.30 pm when he received information that during the Ram Navami procession coming from Brahmadev Chauraha, Rakesh and Seema Singh, along with their associates, disrupted the procession by throwing a shoe. A youth named Raja was caught at the spot. This angered the miscreants, who abused the police, pushed them, and managed to free their companion. Sub-Inspector Shailendra has filed a report under serious charges against three named individuals and 30 unidentified persons.
The second case, according to Sub-Inspector Rajesh, involves the use of sound systems above the permitted limit during a procession originating from Bakarmandi Tiraaha. Members of the organising committee—Raja, Mohit, Ayush, Shantanu, Annu, Jeetu, Rajat, Ramavtar, Mahendra, Sahil, Abhishek, Adarsh, Prince, Masook, and councilor Neeraj—allegedly abused the police and blocked the road by staging a sit-in. They also freed their detained companions. The sub-inspector has filed a report against 16 named and 90 unidentified individuals.
According to the third FIR filed by Sub-Inspector Karunashankar, 146 speaker boxes were installed like walls on both sides of the main road at Maswanpur Chauraha, causing obstruction. When the police objected, Raja, Rishi, Jitendra, Shankar Pasi, Jagat Singh, Deepak Thakur, Seema Singh, Rinku Saini, Sumit, Rakesh Srivastava, and Ayush Shukla allegedly started pushing and abusing the police. A report was filed against 11 named and 20 unidentified individuals.
The fourth FIR, according to the Ratanpur police outpost in-charge, states that he was on duty during the procession when more than two DJ units were being played loudly on a loader. A scuffle broke out with the police. DJ operators Monu Singh and Deepak Tiwari, along with their associates, have been booked.
The fifth FIR was filed by Shravan Tiwari, the in-charge of the Panki Mandir police outpost, who stated that in Gangaganj ground, more than two loudspeakers were being played on a DJ system. When the police attempted to stop it, the people began to push and shove them. A case has been registered against Ankit and others under Section 7 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act and other relevant charges.
The sixth FIR, according to Sub-Inspector Ramanand of Moolganj, states that despite government orders, more than two loudspeakers were playing at high volume during the procession. When the police intervened, people began pushing, shoving, and misbehaving with them. The DJ operator Azmeen and the loader driver Pintu fled the scene. A case was registered.
The seventh FIR pertains to an incident in Mishri Bazaar, where a stampede-like situation arose. One youth was injured. While people claimed he was hit by a stone, the police argued that if a stone had been thrown from above, it would have hit his head. A case has been registered against unidentified individuals under multiple charges for attempting to disturb the peace.
The eighth and ninth FIRs, according to Sub-Inspector Sushil of Sanigwan outpost, report that the organisers and DJ operators were playing music at excessively high volume. The DJ operators named in the report include Shyam, Karan, Virendra, Rajendra, Om, Manoj, and Virendra (again). A separate case has also been registered against DJ operator Sagar Jaiswal in Fazalganj.
