By TwoCircles.net Special Correspondent
Lucknow: Sectarian violence claimed one life while nearly a dozen people were injured which includes two of them seriously in Lucknow. The violence which began on late night on Wednesday had its effect next day.
Tension prevailed in the old city with sporadic incidents of stone pelting being reported. The only silver lining being that the incident did not engulf larger areas. However, tension is still palpable in the area with busy Chowk locality wearing a deserted look. Bahujan Samaj Party’s (BSP) former MP Dawood Ahmed and Samajwadi Party’s (SP) leader Fakhrul Hasan Chand has been named in the FIRs. State government on the other hand had announced a relief of Rs 5 lakh to the deceased’s family, one lakh each to seriously injured and Rs 50,000 to those with minor injuries.
The atmosphere was charged in old city for quite some time. Few days ago violence occurred between two sects of Muslims in Tudiyaganj locality, though it was doused. Then began a series where objectionable pamphlets were pasted at mosques. Sporadic incidents of violence occurred in the area but were largely controlled.
On Wednesday night a majlis was being held at Deputy Ka Maqbara in Wazirganj locality. As per reports some people fired at the crowd injuring several persons. Soon the news spread and a large number of crowd gathered at trauma center of King George Medical University where injured were rushed for treatment.
Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawwad too reached the scene. Senior police officials too reached the scene. SSP R K Chaturvedi and DIG Navneet Sikera personally reached there along with DM Anurag Yadav to control the situation. Meanwhile one of the injured Suleman alias Shanu died while two persons were serious among the dozen injured. One of them is Ved Prakash Yadav who too received gun shots.
On Wednesday, Shanu’s body was handed over after postmortem. As it reached Satkhanda near Chota Imambara along with hundreds of people, some gun shots were fired and again stone pelting began. Somehow heavy police force controlled the situation. The body reached Juma Masjid and later was taken for burial in Imambara Ghufran Maab.
However, the mourners kept the body at Chowk crossing and placed demand for arresting of the accused. They refused to bury the body. Sources claimed that Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav personally called u Maulana Kalbe Jawwad and assured that culprits will be arrested by tonight that the protestors took the body for burial. Clerics from both the sects have appealed for peace and maintaining calm. They have also demanded strict action against the culprits.
Officially police has registered four FIRs in the incident. In the first Ali Mohammad had lodged a report (case no. 31/13) that is brother Suleman was killed due to gun injuries. Seven people have been named in this regard. In the second case no 32/13, Syed Taqi Abbas has named former BSP MP Dawood Ahmed and eight others for injuring by gun shots. In the third report case no. 33/13 Syed Hasan has named corporator Mohd Naeem alias Nammu and 13 other including Maqsood who is brother of Dawood Ahmed former MP for firing at the complainant. The fourth FIR case no 34/13 has been lodged by Jawed Hussain for seriously injuring his brother Mohd Abbas by gun shots. Seven people have been named in this case. Police has arrested six accused while hunt is on for others. Police communiqué stated that situation is under control and tight vigil is being maintained.
Perhaps eminent poet Kaifi Azmi penned the following lines for Lucknow which aptly describe the situation.
अज़ा में बहते थे आँसू यहाँ, लहू तो नहीं
ये कोई और जगह है ये लखनऊ तो नहीं
यहाँ तो चलती हैं छुरिया ज़ुबाँ से पहले
ये मीर अनीस की, आतिश की गुफ़्तगू तो नहीं
चमक रहा है जो दामन पे दोनों फ़िरक़ों के
बग़ौर देखो ये इस्लाम का लहू तो नहीं
