The Mahapanchayat convened by BJP leader Kumwar Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ at village Ganaouli under laksar tehsil on Thursday in the wake of landhaura violence that had left several people injured, was called off.
The organisers said that it had been deferred, adding that a new date for the congregation would be announced soon.
Meanwhile, the VHP leader, Sadhvi Prachi, was detained by the Haridwar police while trying to enter landhaura.
She was later taken to the police lines. There was some confusion over her being arrested. However, the police later clarified that they had not arrested the Sadhvi. They had just asked her not to move with her supporters to the area where the prohibitory orders were in force.
Hundreds of people had gathered at Sherpur Khadar village touching the boundary of Uttar Pradesh when Champion came around 10.30 am to announce the postponement of the Mahapanchayat.
With the Chief Minister taking a stern stance regarding the Mahapanchayat, police turned the landhaura area and the Uttar Pradesh- Uttarakhand border into a fortress.
The border was completely sealed off at Purkazi and Khanpur. Uttar Pradesh police cooperated with Uttarakhand police as they did not allow people bound for the gathering to cross the border. Barely 500 people gathered at Sherpur when Champion arrived to announce the postponement of the congregation. However, the organisers claimed that over 6000 people were nearing the site of the Mahapanchayat when it was called off.
Police played a pro-active role in sync with the State Government’s policy. They appealed to the people not to hold ‘Chaupal’ outside their homes since Section 144 was in force. The police had asked them to go back even before Champion arrived.
Irked over police stopping her from reaching the site of the Mahapanchayat, Sadhwi Prachi said it was unfair. “The Constitution has given us freedom of expression. However, our voice was strangled as we were barred from reaching the place we were bound for,” she said.
SSP Haridwar Rajeev Swaroop said, “We did not arrest the VHP leader. She was on her way to lucknow and wanted to hold a session at Mahapanchayat on the way. We told her she could go alone but not with other people since Section 144 was in force in the area. She was just made to go through other routes.”