Lal Kuan area in the sensitive Walled City continued to simmer a day after 100-year-old Durga temple was desecrated by a mob comprising of people of a particular community. Strong posse of armed police personnel Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) are stationed in and around the area as the senior police officers of Delhi Police are trying to assuage the feelings by reaching out to the elders of the two communities. However, residents in the area said that some miscreants are trying to escalate the situation.
Also known as wholesale hub for hardware products, Hauz Qazi in old Delhi remained closed on Tuesday. The entire area resembled a fortress with police and CAPFs deployed in large numbers.
Delhi Police on Tuesday arrested two persons and apprehended a minor for rioting in connection with the communal clashes that vitiated densely populated Lal Kuan and is adjoining areas.
Police on Tuesday tried to normalize the situation by urging the shop owners to open the market but protesters forcefully asked them to keep their shutter down until the matter is resolved.
Union Minister and Chandni Chowk MP Dr Harsh Vardhan visited the affected area to take stock of the situation. Police had appealed to the people to maintain peace and restore normalcy in the area.
Dr Vardhan described the incident as “unfortunate” and stated that those behind the ugly incident in defiling the temple would be punished. Later in the evening former Union Minister Vijay Goel too visited the area and held a peace talk with both the communities.
“It is very unfortunate and painful. The kind of thing done to the temple is unforgivable. I have been told that the police is already in action. Culprits will be arrested soon and punished. I appeal to the people to maintain harmony,” the Union minister stated.
“Despite police presence, the situation is not normal. People get agitated at the drop of a hat. The slogans raised by both sides are demeaning,” said a resident.
Lallan (50), who works as a labour in the area for past 30 years said, this is the business peak season due to 15 August but this clash has severely affected our work. “We are daily wage workers but from last two days we are earning nothing as the shops are closed,” said Lallan.
While 57 year old Shahid who lives in the area from his childhood and runs a garment business said, “miscreants are turning the situation worse. We only want peace and communal harmony.”
Delhi Police and residents appealed for calm on Tuesday even as small groups of protesters continued to raise derogatory slogans.
However, Rahul Kashyap (26) claimed that, the members of other community pelted stones on their houses and hurt their religious sentiments by vandalizing the temple. “They are the one who escalated the issue. We want justice and safety from the miscreants,” said Kashyap.
Another resident of the Durga mandir street, Aniket Mehra claimed that, one minor boy who alarmed us about the mob of 400-500 members of other community, is missing from Sunday. We are unable to track him down.
On Monday, tension prevails in the highly sensitive Walled City area of the national Capital after clashes erupted between two groups belonging to different communities over parking issues. It soon took an ugly turn after rumours spread that a youth from a particular community has been lynched by a mob. Enraged over this, a mob vandalised a Shiva Temple in the Lal Kuan area after raising inflammatory religious slogans.
However, Jamshed Siddiqui, who was heading the muslim community, said, “We have spoken to each other on the issue and decided that the Aman Committee would bear the expenses to renovate the vandalised temple”.
“We want peace in the area as it was earlier. We condemn the incident and the culprits, who have vandalised the temple, must be punished,” Siddiqui said.
Bittoo, head of Durga Mandir Street, said, “People from both the communities are living here happily from past many decades. The market will be opened from Wednesday and the locals will bring back peace with the help of each other”.