Some youths who were part of the Ganesh procession went on a rampage in a Muslim locality barging into Muslim homes and indulging in vandalising and ransacking houses, assaulting the households, both men and women, indiscriminately and damaging their properties including vehicles
Ahmed Kasim | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – During a religious procession in Ali Nagar of the UP’s Chandauli district on September 2, some Hindu youths indulged in violence and vandalism against Muslims without any provocation.
When the procession, taken out for visarjan (ritual immersion) of the idol of Ganesh to mark the culmination of the annual Ganesh festival, was passing through Ward #9 of the town all hell broke loose for the Muslim community living there.
The youths who were part of the procession went on a rampage in the Muslim locality barging into Muslim homes and indulging in vandalising and ransacking houses, assaulting the households, both men and women, indiscriminately and damaging their properties including vehicles.
An FIR registered in the case at a nearby police station identifies six people by name who, along with several unknown people, indulged in violence and arson in the area. The accused are Sanjay Rastogi, Sushil, Santosh Kumar, Mahendra. Monu and Shivnath.
In the FIR, the complainants narrated how the assailants attacked their Muslim and brutally beat up them causing grievous injuries to the households. They didn’t spare women.
The victims say they (the assailants) wanted to settle some old scores with the Muslim community.
Recounting the horrors, Nasreen Bano, a resident of Ali Nagar, told Clarion India, “Around 8:15 in the evening some people entered our house. Some of them were drunk. They started smashing tempo and scooty parked outside our house. As my brother, Rohid Alam, tried to stop them, they attacked and injured him badly.
While the violence that took place in Ali Nagar was a one-sided affair, News 18 Uttar Pradesh tried to project it as a clash between people of two communities. The channel went on to blame what they alleged was sudden stone pelting for the violence whereas no stone pelting had taken place during the procession as per the eyewitnesses. It alleged that during the immersion of Ganesh idol, one side was beaten up for stone pelting.
The channel, however, rightly pointed out that miscreants entered the settlements and beat up the household. Half a dozen people were injured in this incident and many vehicles were damaged.
Sahil Farooqui, who lives in Ali Nagar, said a few months ago, during Muharram, a dispute cropped up between the two communities over some matter. Some Hindus might have nursed a grouse against Muslims since then.
He suspected it to be the reason for the sudden change in the route of the procession. “Else, why would the procession deviate from its traditional route and suddenly enter our area,” he asked.
He said a case has been registered in the nearest police station but no satisfactory action has been taken by the police as yet.
The Chandauli Police confirmed that a case has been registered at Ali Nagar police station in connection with to the incident under relevant sections and four accused named in the FIR have been arrested and necessary legal action is in the process.
According to the FIR, a case was registered in section 147, 323,504, 427.
