By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: In a time when Muslims as well as secular minded people are crying for justice in the police firing at Bharatpur district of Rajasthan, another incident of communal violence accompanied by police firing at Muslims has been reported on October 2 at Rudrapur town in Uttarakhand.
The death of four Muslims has been confirmed while several others are injured who are under treatment at hospitals. The town is still tense and curfew continues.
The atmosphere at Rudrapur town of Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand has been normal for past several years but for last one year some anti-social elements have been trying to disturb the communal harmony here.
Police chase away protesters at Rudrapur town in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand, on Sunday [PTI Photo]
On September 30, 2011, a bag containing a copy of Holy Quran and flesh of pig was thrown by some miscreants at a local temple. When local Muslims came to know about that, they went to the local police station and demanded action against those who are behind desecrating the Holy Quran. The police assured them of action and sent them back.
Two days passed but no action was taken by police. And then on Oct. 2 another such incident happened the same area in which some people of Hindu community desecrated and burnt a copy of the Quran. The local people again reached the local police station and demanded immediate action but police this time too remained inaction. Then angry Muslims started protesting outside the station.
“Muslims were protesting for their demand to arrest those who were involved in desecration of Quran. Police asked protestors to leave the place but they refused to do so untill their demand was accepted. Then police started lathi charge which resulted in stone pelting from protestors. It was enough for police to open fire at the protestors which killed four Muslims while injured many others”, Shah Jilani, a physician living in Rudrapur, told TwoCircles.net over phone on Monday afternoon.
He said that when the police firing was going on, a mob of Hindu community came out on the road and started destroying shops and setting vehicles on fire. “No Muslim shops in the market were left unattached. All were looted and destroyed” said Mr Shah who has his clinic in the affected area.
“It is a very painful matter that four Muslims have been killed in the attack by police and Hindus and after the incident Muslims are being arrested in large number. Every Muslims in the town are afraid” said Abdul Qadir, secretary of Udham Singh Nagar district unit of Jamit Ulema-I-Hind.
He recalled that last year also a similar incident happened when pig flesh was thrown inside Jama Masjid. “At that time police arrested some members of Hindu community who were later released without any strict action” he added.
Bharatiya Janata Party has been ruling Uttarakhand since it was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in November 2000.
However, the situation in the town is tense but under control. Security has been strengthened in the area with police patrolling all the vital installations. Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel are also being deployed in the area as a precautionary step.