Riot control force, police and armed battalions take out flag marches in both Hindu and Muslim populated areas; 112 arrested for violence, arson.
Kasganj (Uttar Pradesh): Three days after communal violence hit Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh, a total of 112 people have been arrested and more than 100 have been detained.
Even though the curfew was lifted for a few hours Monday afternoon, markets largely remained shut and people preferred to stay indoors in the town.
Several units of the riot control force, the local police and armed battalions, took out flag marches in both Hindu and Muslim populated areas and made constant announcements asking the public to disburse.
The communal violence that took place over Republic Day celebration Friday had left one person, identified as Chandan Gupta (22), dead and three others injured. Over a dozen shops were burnt and looted, bikes set ablaze, buses vandalised and gunshots fired.
The police have registered three FIRs in connection with the violence, under sections of rioting, vandalism, arson and disrespect to the national flag and murder.
“A total of 112 people have been arrested. Apart from that 81 persons have taken under preventive detention and 31 under substantive arrest,” Ajay Anand, additional DG of police (Agra), told ThePrint.
Another senior officer said that police have seized a rifle from the house of one of the accused — Babloo — from which shots were allegedly fired.
How it all began
It was 9 am Friday and locals at Vir Abdul Hamid crossing, a Muslim dominated area in the town, were gearing up for the yearly event to hoist the national flag on the occasion of Republic Day.
Around 9.45 am, a group of over 100 bikers, reportedly from Vishwa Hindu Parishad and ABVP, reached the crossing, armed with the Tricolour and saffron flags asking for passage. Since the Muslims in the area had already made arrangements, they asked the bikers to take a detour, but they refused, which led to a clash, locals said.
“Our boys had painted the Tricolor on their faces and were taking out a rally, when they were stopped by Muslims,” Sushil Gupta, father of Chandan Gupta, who died during the violence, alleged.
“The Muslim youths on the other hand were chanting ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ and were to hoist the Pakistani flag. When our boys objected to it, they opened fire,” Gupta claimed.
However, another resident, Abbas Ali, gave a different version.
“We were preparing to hoist our national flag, when these bikers came and asked for a passage. When we asked them to take a different route, they started abusing us,” he claimed.
What CCTV footage shows
CCTV footage accessed by ThePrint shows the Muslim locals, including children in school uniform, laying down tables, chairs, putting tricolour balloons and carrying the Indian flag to be placed in the middle of the crossing for the event, when the bikers reach the crossing and a clash ensues.
“We tried to convince them (bikers) to not disrupt the event and either take a detour, or join us with the celebrations. But they were adamant,” Iqbal, another resident, said.
Asif Hussain, who organises the annual event by collecting money from the locals said that everyone comes together to hoist the flag, sing the national anthem, and distribute sweets, books and stationary to children.
Arson at marketplace
As the situation became tense, a Muslim youth called the police. Although police reached the spot and disbursed the locals, the latter regrouped near Tehsil Road, also a Muslim dominated area, and vandalised public property.
“As the rally regrouped near Tehsil Road, the Muslim locals thought that they have come to retaliate. This is when they clashed again and someone opened fire which hit Chandan Gupta,” additional SP, Pavitra Mohan Tripathi, said.
“Another round was fired, which hit Naushad. While Gupta died, Naushad is in the hospital,” he added.
While some alleged that Gupta died of a police bullet, his family said that a Muslim youth had opened fire.
“We are yet to ascertain who fired the bullet. We have recovered 12 rounds of cartridges and a rifle during our searches and further investigation is on,” said a police officer.
A bid to polarise, say Muslims
Aslam, a vegetable vendor who has been living in Kasganj for the past 50 years calls this incident a clear attempt to polarise the state.
“We Hindus and Muslims have been living here for ages and such a situation has never arisen,” he alleged.
“Even during the Babri episode in 1992, when unrest was being reported from all corners of the nation, Kasganj was at peace. What happened on 26 January this year was intentional, planned and targeted,” Aslam added.
Chandan’s aunt Ruby Gupta, however, refuted this claim. “From now on, no mother will send her son to celebrate either Republic Day or Independence Day,” she said.
We must salute Governor Ram Naik, widely respected in Maharashtra for his long record of public service, for calling this incident a ” kalank ” and advising the state government to ensure that something like this does not happen again.