Tension prevails after clashes in UP district

Several persons injured, vehicles damaged

Yet another incident of communal violence rocked Uttar Pradesh with large-scale rioting in the communally sensitive Muzaffarnagar district on Saturday in which several people sustained injuries and many vehicles were torched and damaged.

The violence sparked off after a panchayat at Nangla Mandaur village in the district, when a frenzied mob, carrying sticks and other sharp-edged weapons, attacked people of a particular community who were travelling in a car.

The security personnel had a tough time rescuing people.

According to sources, attacks were also reported in Muzaffarnagar town after which markets were closed. Two persons sustained injuries when they were hit by sticks and rods at Meenakshi Chowk area in the town.

Earlier in the day, four students of a local madarsa (Islamic seminary) were allegedly roughed up in a train near Khatauli station in the district triggering tension in the area.
Tension was simmering in the district after three youths were killed in Kaval area on August 27 over an alleged incident of eve-teasing.

The Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) had convened a panchayat to chalk out its strategy over the killings.

The district administration had banned the panchayat but thousands of people had reached the venue by traversing over fields giving a slip to the security personnel.
The panchayat would again be held later this week, declared the BKU leaders. Around a dozen people have been arrested in connection with the killings and the communal violence.

Security personnel in strength have been deployed at sensitive places to maintain
law and order, officers said.

Cases have also been registered against BSP MP Kadir Rana and some others for inciting people.

A spate of communal riots have rocked the state ever since the Samajwadi Party came to power after the assembly polls in March last year triggering resentment among the Muslims, considered to be the vote bank of the party.

Many Muslim leaders of the SP have openly voiced concern over recurring communal riots and charged the government with failing to ensure protection of the community.

The communal riot in the land of Lord Rama in Faizabad a few months ago had seen imposition of curfew there after a gap of 20 years.

The recurring communal clashes put a question mark on Akhilesh’s pledge to give a ‘bhaya mukta’ (free from fear) society.