10 BJP leaders among dozens booked for damaging tomb in UP's Fatehpur, security tightened

Lucknow: Ten BJP leaders were among more than 150 people booked for damaging a 200-year old tomb in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur town on Tuesday even as security arrangements in and around the tomb were tightened with deployment of a large contingent of police force.

Interestingly the police had not booked the district BJP president Sukhlal Pal, who had led a mob of saffron workers into the tomb on Tuesday claiming that it was a Hindu Temple and was demolished by the Muslim rulers and converted into a tomb.

Hundreds of saffron workers had barged into the tomb, situated in Aboonagar locality in the town, damaged two ‘mazars’ (shrines) and hoisted saffron flags at the tomb.

Tension prevailed in the area though no untoward incident took place in the past 24-hours, sources said.

Reports said that the Muslim women who lived in the vicinity were ‘very scared’ and sought stern action against the trouble mongers.

The Fatehpur tomb disputes join the growing list of mosques and other religious places on which the saffron leaders have staked their claims claiming that they were temples and were demolished during the Muslim rule and converted into Mosques and tombs.

The role of the local police also came under scanner with the local Muslims and the opposition parties accusing the cops of shielding the district BJP president and also remaining mute spectators when the saffron workers damaged the shrines.

The matter was also raised in the UP assembly on Tuesday by the opposition members who accused the government of shielding BJP leaders and demanded stern action against those responsible.

The tomb had been deserted for almost four years after its ‘mutwalli’ (caretaker) Anees Baba four years back.

Some saffron activists damaged two shrines inside the tomb with stones and sticks. ’’It is an ancient temple ... .there are symbols like trident and lotus flower inside it,’’ Pal had claimed.