District authorities averted a possible confrontation with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders when they detained BJP leader Sadhvi Prachi in Bijnore when she was on her way to Kaanth to take part in Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) proposed ‘Jalabhishek’, on Friday.
Her detention is part of UP Government’s efforts to prevent any law and order situation in view of the VHP march, BJP’s protest and Congress’ ‘peace march’ in Kanth area of Moradabad on Saturday. As a precautionary measure, Section 144 has already been imposed in the area.
Sadhvi Prachi along with several of her supporters was detained in Bijnore when they were on their way to Kaanth for ‘Jalabhishek’ at a Jatav temple in Muslim-dominated Akbarpur village from Haridwar this morning. Sadhvi, who had contested the 2012 Assembly elections on BJP ticket, was among around 40 persons accused of inciting Muzaffarnagar riots through their provocative speeches.
The epicentre of the trouble in Moradabad is a temple in Muslim-dominated Akbarpur village belonging to the Jatav community. Trouble started last month after a section of villagers protested against installation of a loudspeaker in the temple. BJP will hold a march to Kaanth Police station on Saturday to lodge a FIR against the Moradabad SSP Dharamveer Singh Yadav while it will be countered by a Congress-sponsored peace march to be led by AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistri.
Meanwhile, the UP Government is trying its best to avoid a similar clash with the BJP like on July 4 in Kaanth and have persuaded the BJP leaders to postpone their march. Senior police officials have met UP BJP president laxmikant Bajpai in lucknow on Thursday night over the Moradabad issue and tried to persuade him to postpone the march.