With accused responsible for worst ever riots in Muzaffarnagar and adjoining areas still to be accounted for, a concentrated move has been again made by some subversive forces in about half a dozen districts mostly in Western Uttar Pradesh to disturb the communal harmony in the State. luckily, the law enforcing agencies so far managed to defuse the situation but the situation is still tense in most of the areas.
In Meerut, communal tension flared up when members of two communities clashed with each other in lisadi gate area on Thursday night. Both the parties pelted stones and even opened fire in which half a dozen persons were injured out of which condition of one 60-year-old woman has been stated to critical as she was hit by a bullet on her back. The clash reportedly took place just after one of the group celebrating birthday asked the other to close the announcement made through the loud-speaker from a religious place. Senior officers along with SSP Meerut, Onkar Singh, rushed to the spot and were still camping in the area to avert any further clash.
In another incident reported from Sambhal, some anti-social elements burnt some religious matter kept in place of worship in Sarai Sarin locality of Hayatnagar late on Wednesday night. Reacting to it, some members of the other group attacked and ransacked houses of about a dozen members of other community. However, before the situation turned volatile, local police reached and used force to chase away the trouble makers. Reports said that clash again took place on Friday, when two religious leaders of some community gathered with their supporters and confronted over distributing compensation of Rs 25000 to the victims. Both sides pelted stones in which several persons were injured but heavy police force reached the spot and is camping in the area to every further untoward incident.
In Sadabad locality of Hathras also, some miscreants tried to fuel communal tension by damaging idols kept in a temple at Anandnagar, late on Thursday night. About 200 local villagers, gathered at the temple after learning of the incident and they staged a protest accusing the members of other community to have damaged the idols. However, before the two groups clashed, local SP and DM rushed with heavy police force and assure of stern action against the culprits to defuse the situation.
Similarly in Chadauli also, some people damaged the idol kept at lord Shiva temple at Kharanja road in Malokhar locality, in the wee hours ofFriday. local police which rushed to the spot after getting the information, later recovered some items from the near-by fields. A case has been registered in this regard and efforts were on to trace out the identity of the miscreants and subsequently to lay a trap on them. In lucknow also, two separate groups led by two sects of a particular community clashed with each other in Saadatganj area over recent killings in Iraq. Heavy police force has been deployed in this area to maintain law and order and restore peace. Cross-cases has been also registered against both the groups.