Communal tension prevailed in Bareilly after a group of kanwariyas were pelted with stones from the shrine of another community in Mohalla Jogi Nawada of Baradari area of the district.
The agitated mob vandalised two vehicles, including a police jeep, and some vehicles were also damaged in stone pelting. Four people were injured due to stone pelting. The situation was controlled after a heavy police force along with senior officers reached the spot.
Reports said that tension prevailed in Manauna village of Bareilly on Saturday night when the way of kanwariyas going to collect holy water was blocked by some local residents, including Bahujan Samaj Party district panchayat member Shamshad. He accused the kanwariyas of setting new traditions as earlier they did not pass through the said route to collect holy water. The kanwariyas, however, claimed that they always took the holy water through this route and that this time a controversy was being deliberately created. They warned that if stopped from taking this route, they would not perform jalabhishek. The officials failed to resolve the dispute till late night.
According to sources, every year the kanwariyas from Manauna village go to Kachla ghat in Budaun to collect water. On Saturday, a group was formed under the leadership of Sanjay and Rajju Valmiki. On Saturday night, when they reached the Muslim-dominated area by their vehicles, Shamshad stopped them after which the dispute started.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Govind Maurya kept trying to find a solution by talking to both sides. The kanwariyas said that they were being pressured to return, which was wrong. They said if the administration forced their return, they would not perform jalabhishek. The agitated kanwariyas also started raising slogans after sitting on the road.
Sources said that records were called from the police station to confirm the route of the kanwariyas, but even then the issue could not be resolved. The police said that the groups of kanwariyas were enrolled but details of the routes taken by them were not recorded.
The Muslim community calmed down after midnight but the administration did not allow the kanwariyas to pass that way. Later as a group of about 200 kanwariyas reached near Shah Noori masjid in Jogi Nawada, stones were pelted at them from places of worship and homes. It is alleged that dirty water and mud were also thrown on the devotees. During this, four people, including two women, were injured. Two vehicles, including a police jeep, were vandalised.
Later a heavy police force and senior officers reached the spot and they were camping in the area to avert any further clash between the two communities.
Meanwhile, a kanwariya was killed and a dozen others were injured in an accident at Dharamshala overbridge in Gorakhpur city on Sunday morning.
The agitated kanwariyas created a ruckus. Later District Magistrate Krishna Karunesh and Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Gaurav Grover reached the spot and pacified the kanwariyas by assuring strict action.
According to information, a tractor-trolley carrying kanwariyas was going to Pipraich after fetching holy water from Barhalganj. At Dharamshala, the trolley collided with an uncontrolled dumper on the overbridge in which Rajkumar Gupta died on the spot while Anshu Gupta, Suraj Gupta, Aman Kumar, Nanhe Bharti, Vikas Kumar, Raju, Aman Kannaujia, Niraj, Shivam Gupta, Ajay Sahni, Vivek Sahni, Akash Sahni were injured. The injured were admitted to the medical college hospital.
In another mishap, a kanwariya was hit by a car on Saturday evening near Sewai Bazaar at Unchgaon in Belipar area. Angered by this, the kanwariyas manhandled the car driver and damaged the vehicle. The police reached the spot and pacified the angry kanwariyas and rescued the car occupants.