With embers of communal tension smouldering in Raiwala areas in Dehradun district following the recovery of a mutilated body from the railway tracks, the district administration prevented senior Congress leader and former State party president Kishore Upadhayay from visiting the communally sensitive areas of Raiwala on Saturday.
Notably, communal violence and arson had flared up in Raiwala and later spread to Rishikesh and some parts of Haridwar on Friday. Police said that the prohibitory provision under Section 144 of CrPC remaining enforced in such areas, they were vigilant round the clock to prevent recurrence of violence. The Congress leader said that the State Government could not shirk responsibility for what had happened.
“We are frightened that a communal hatred is gripping the State which is known for its tradition of communal harmony at the behest of the ruling party,” Upadhayay said. Garhwal Range deputy inspector general of police Pushpak Jyoti said, “Our priority being to maintain peace in the affected areas, we can hardly take any risk at this point of time. This is why we prevented the Congress leader from visiting Raiwala.”
Meanwhile a delegation from Aam Aadmi Party met the state DGP Anil K Raturi and submitted a memorandum, demanding stringent action against persons who fomented communal tension and indulged in vandalism in Rishikesh, Dehradun and Kankhal. Communist Party of India (Marxist) district secretary Rajendra Purohit also condemned the communal tension, saying that the anti-social elements who were responsible for the unrest and riots should be given stringent punishment.
SP Rural Sarita Dobhal said that police arrested four persons for their involvement in arson while two FIRs have been registered against unidentified persons on the basis of complaints lodged. However, things are limping back to normalcy as shops have reopened at various places in Raiwala and Rishikesh on Saturday, she said.
Notably, communal tension, triggered by the recovery of the mutilated body of lakshman Singh Kalura, 33, from railway tracks had gripped Raiwala, Rishikesh and Kankhal on Friday and continued on Saturday. It is learnt that lakshman, a married man with three kids, was allegedly having an extra marital affair with the daughter of his employer, a poultry farm owner, Islam Ahmad, who sacked him on learning of the affair. However, lakshman had allegedly continued to meet the woman.
On Tuesday night, his body had been found lying on the tracks. Ahmad and his son Salman had been arrested and booked under murder charges on Thursday. However, the action by police had failed to pacify the locals supported by some right wing activists. On Friday, several shops had been vandalised and some vehicles had been torched in Raiwala, Rishikesh and Kankhal areas on Friday.