Police detained BJP and Congress leaders at Delhi-UP border to prevent them from taking out marches in tension-hit Kaanth area of Moradabad on Saturday.
BJP has announced to lead a march to Kaanth police station to register an FIR against SSP Dharamveer Singh Yadav allegedly for unleashing atrocities on the 62 arrested BJP activists. It is also demanding re-installation of loud speaker in the temple. Congress has also
announced to hold a peace march in Kaanth which will be led by AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistri. However, UP BJP president laxmikant Bajpai, along with party spokesperson Chandramohan and one MlA, has reached the residence of the District Magistrate and sat on dharna to lodge an FIR against the SSP. State police has already started crackdown on the BJP leaders and party MlA Sangeet Singh Som has been put house arrest at his residence in Bijnore.
However, Som said he, along with BJP supporters, will go to Kaanth at any cost to register FIR against the SSP who, he alleged, has been acting like a spokesperson of the SP government led by UP CM Akhilesh Yadav. Heavy security has been put in place to stop the BJP membersfrom entering the area. Paramilitary forces have been deployed near Kanth police station to thwart the plans of the party. Meanwhile, several BJP leaders including senior Supreme Court lawyer Ajay Agarwal were detained in Ghaziabad when they were on their way to Moradabad. Congress leaders bound for Moradabad were also detained at the same place. Mistri, UP Congress president Nirmal Khatri, party’s legislative council leader Naseeb Pathan and Bollywood actor-turned politician Nagma were detained and not allowed to proceed towards Moradabad. All the BJP and Congress leaders were stopped at UP Gate on the Delhi-UP border. Ajay Agarwal, who was BJP lok Sabha candidate against Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli, said,’’This is an undemocratic action of UP government and infringement of my fundamental right. Such a government has no right to stay in power.’’District Magistrate Deepak Agarwal said that Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in Kanth area of Moradabad district till August 4. Meanwhile, the BJP state president, who is on dharna at the DM
residence, has justified the protest march saying that the party has all the constitutional right to complain against the district administration. The Congress also criticised the act of the UP government for not allowing them to reach Moradabad. “We have planned to hold a peaceful march with just 25 people but it is unfortunate that we are prevented,” Khatri said. Former Congress president, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, however, managed to dodge the police and had reached Moradabad with over 1000 of her supporters but was later detained and not allowed to reach Kanth for peace march.
Trouble had erupted in Kanth area of Moradabad on July 4 over the installation of a loudspeaker at a temple leading to violent clashes in which the District Magistrate had also suffered grievous injuries in his eye. BJP leader Sadhvi Prachi was detained on Friday in Bijnore when she wass on her way to Moradabad to take part in Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s proposed ‘Jalabhishek’. At 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. The protesters eventually ensured that the loudspeaker was taken
down by the district administration. The Jatavs protested the move and and alleged discrimination. They also claimed that the temple had a loudspeaker for the last 15 years, they only got a new one installed as replacement in June. The VHP has demanded re-installation of loudspeakers and wants to hold to perform puja at the temple.