LUCKNOW: Communal tension gripped the Mahasi township of Bahraich district of central Uttar Pradesh when a person died during a clash between Hindu devotees on a procession and some people of a minority community on Sunday.
The incident led to huge protests and unrest in the area. As per the local sources, the incident resulted from an altercation between the members of the two communities when they came face-to-face over DJ music.
The Hindu devotees were going for the immersion of the idol of Goddess Durga in the Mahsi Maharajganj area under the Hardi police station of Bahraich. The clash erupted when the members of the minority community objected to the music being played in the procession taking the idol for immersion. This led to a big altercation between the two groups. The minority community members resorted first to stone pelting followed by firing.
The deceased was identified as Ramgopal Mishra (22) of Rahua Mansoor village. Mishra succumbed during the treatment at Medical College. Sources claimed that the deceased had got married just four months back. Another resident Rajan (30) of the same village also sustained a bullet injury.Many more people also got injured in the unrest.
Taking cognizance of the violence, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the district authorities to dentify the elements who vitiated the festive atmosphere and take strictest action against them.
The chief minister also directed the Bahraich district and police administration to continue the immersion of the idols of Goddess Durga without any hinderance. He asked the authorities concerned to have a dialogue with the religious organisations and ensure timely immersion of the idols. Yogi also asked the district authorities to identify those, the lackadaisical approach of whom, led to communal flareup in Bahraich.
UP DGP Prashant Kumar confirming one casualty in the flareup said that sporadic incidents of arson were reported at some places in adjoining districts including Gonda and Balrampur.
“In order to bring the situation under control, ADG Gorakhpur zone KS Pratap Kumar and DIG range, Devipattan, Amarendra Pratap Singh with additional force have been rushed to the spot of the incident,” said the DGP.
Meanwhile, the information of Ramgopal Mishra’s death triggered outrage among local villagers who vandalised vehicles by setting them ablaze in Maharajganj market. Amidst the violence, a heavy contingent of police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), called in from adjoining districts, was deployed in the village in the presence of senior officers including SP Bahraich Vrinda Shukla, DIG Amarendra Prasad Singh and divisional commissioner Shashi Bhushan Lal.
Following the massive demonstration by the family of the deceased and local residents, the immersion of idols from neighbouring areas, including Fakharpur, Ramgaon, and Kaisarganj, was suspended. The atmosphere remained tense but the situation is now under control.