A peaceful procession n celebrating Hanuman Jayanti on Saturday (April 12) night turned chaotic when pieces of meat were discovered on the route, leading to a tense standoff between members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, and local authorities. The procession, which began at 9:30 PM from the Jagdish Swami Temple, made its way towards Farukhibad locality, with hundreds of devotees walking in honour of Bhagwan Ram and Hanuman ji. As the procession progressed, participants were stunned to discover pieces of meat scattered along the path. This sight triggered an immediate uproar among the procession members, who halted the march, turned off the DJ music, and began chanting slogans in protest.
The atmosphere quickly grew tense as the procession, initially full of enthusiasm, came to an abrupt halt due to the desecration of the path. Angered by the act, members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal refused to continue until the situation was addressed. Local authorities, including police personnel, the Tehsildar, and the station in charge, rushed to the scene to take control of the situation. Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal and VHP activists demanded that the Superintendent of Police (SP) be called to the site to ensure a resolution.
Response from authorities
In an effort to restore order, the municipal authorities promptly deployed sanitation workers and a water tanker to clean the area. The meat pieces were removed from the road, and the entire path was sanitised to allow the procession to continue. The response from local officials, including Tehsildar Preeti Panthi, and the station in charge, Trivendra Trivedi, played a crucial role in preventing further escalation of the incident.
Despite these efforts, tensions remained high in the locality, with large groups of people gathering near the procession’s route, fueling anger over the desecration. The situation worsened when some miscreants began throwing stones at homes, shops, and shutters in the Farukhibad locality. The violence quickly escalated, leading to fears of a larger outbreak of unrest. In response, a heavy police presence was deployed to control the situation.
Tensions rise in Farukhibad
As news of the incident spread throughout the area, residents of Farukhibad grew increasingly anxious, particularly members of the community affected by the unrest. In response to the mounting tensions, several individuals closed their doors, and some even took refuge on their rooftops, fearing further violence. The lights in the neighborhood were turned off, plunging the area into darkness, heightening the sense of fear and uncertainty.
Despite these efforts to calm the situation, VHP and Bajrang Dal workers remained insistent on having senior officials, including the SP, address the issue in person. Late into the night, efforts to diffuse the tension continued as police personnel, including Tehsildar Panthi, Station In-charge Trivedi, and Naib Tehsildar Shivam Gautam, sought to reassure the crowd by promising prompt action and further investigation.
Authorities assured the residents that the incident would be thoroughly investigated and that CCTV footage from the area would be reviewed to identify those responsible for the disturbance. Following these assurances and extensive negotiations, the procession was allowed to continue around 11 PM.
Guna incident raises concerns over religious tensions
This incident comes in the wake of another religiously charged situation in Guna, where a similar act of provocation was reported. In that case, a religious procession was disrupted when controversial elements attempted to derail the celebrations by engaging in offensive behavior, further exacerbating communal tensions.
According to police and eyewitness accounts, the situation turned violent around 7:30 PM when the religious procession paused near the mosque during its scheduled route. The celebratory atmosphere quickly devolved into chaos as stones were reportedly hurled at the participants, leading to injuries and the vandalism of several vehicles. An FIR was later filed at Kotwali police station, naming five individuals and mentioning 15 to 20 unidentified persons. As of Sunday morning, the police confirmed the arrest of nine people, including the father-son duo Vicky and Sameer Pathan.
The Guna incident, which is still under investigation, involved provocative acts similar to those seen in Pawai. Authorities are working to ensure that both cases are handled with care, maintaining peace in the region and preventing further escalation of religious tensions.
While the situation in Pawai was largely brought under control, the authorities have promised to take strict action against the perpetrators of both incidents, underscoring their commitment to maintaining communal harmony and security.
