Muslim mob assault RSS Vibhag Sampark Pramukh in Meerut Cantonment area of Western Uttar Pradesh for publicly celebrating Janmashtami. The Muslims shouted the slogan of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’; UP police and local administration remain indifferent.
On September 5, the Janmashtami day, a frenzied Muslim mob, allegedly led by a former Sabhasad (member) of Meerut Cantt Board, Azmal Kamal (presently his wife represents the same ward in the Board) attacked some Hindus preparing a tableau of Sri Krishna at Hathikhana Mohalla of Lalkurti in Meerut. Shouting the slogan of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ and hurling foulest abuses at Hindus in general, the Khatiks (a Hindu Scheduled Caste Community residing in the area) in particular and even not sparing Sri Krishna, they physically assaulted, among others, Shri Arun Jindal, a well-known RSS face of the Mohalla and the Vibhag Sampark Pramukh. They upturned the tables, on which the idol of Sri Krishna had been placed breaking the same in the process and took away the pieces saying they will feed beef to the Lord on his birthday. They also threatened to force beef into the mouths of all Khatiks and other Hindus present at the spot unless they fled immediately. Arun Jindal sustained serious injuries on his body. An FIR was lodged in Lalkurti Police Station u/s 147,148, 149, 504, 153-B, 323, 295, 295-A, 427 IPC and section 3(1)(x) SC/ST Act and 7 CL(A) Act.
The Mohalla and the entire area encircling it where the incident took place is predominantly Muslim. Only some scores of Hindu families, mainly belonging to Khatik SC community reside here amidst Muslim residents. For about 25 years, the Hindus have been publicly celebrating Janmashtami by erecting the tableau of Sri Krishna. There was never any opposition to the same from the Muslims all these years except in 2014 when for the first time they came in a crowd and tried to compel the Hindus to desist from erecting the tableau. They beat up some Hindus and extracted a sort of agreement from a Hindu family residing in the vicinity of the jhanki place that no public celebration of Janmashtami will take place from next year i.e. 2015. The agreement was written by Azmal Kamal, the then member of Cantt Board from this ward. This so-called agreement was not entered into or signed by the Hindu society at large except by a frightened Hindu family alluded to above. Be that as it may, an FIR was lodged by the Hindus against the attack by the Muslims. But the police did nothing. Instead it got a cross FIR registered by the Muslims against the Hindus with a view to pressurise the later. Had the police taken some action against Muslim miscreants last year only, this year’s incident would not have happened.
Arun Jindal, in the FIR has named 18 Muslims including former Sabhasad Azmal Kamal and implicated 7 unnamed persons. But even after five days of the incident, only one arrest has been made. All those named in the FIR are roaming free in and around the Mohalla. A posse of policemen has been sitting guard at Jindal's house in the Mohalla. But the miscreants are unfazed and unworried given the record of the UP police under the Samajwadi Party dispensation always avoiding laying hand at a Muslim miscreant.
In view of it, a delegation of the RSS leaders led Kshetra Sanghachalak Shri Darshan Lal Arora met the District Magistrate Pankaj Yadav on September 8 and demanded immediate arrest of those named in the FIR, imposing the Goonda Act on them and also adding sections of IPC dealing with sedition since the mob was vociferously shouting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ all through. Prant Sanghachalak Shri Surya Prakash Tonk told the District Magistrate (DM) that Meerut Cantt is a security-sensitive area. The antecedents of those raising anti-national slogans ought to be checked stringently to see if there is any link with the ISI and terrorist outfits. The delegation also told the DM that such one-way tolerance on part of the Hindus cannot go on forever. Also the attitude of the police came in for sharp criticism from RSS leaders. The DM told the delegation that justice would be done in the case even if the past record does not raise hopes.
Ajay Mittal from Meerut
