The drive by police against bull slaughtering that started a day before Eid against bull slaughtering created communal tension that still continues in certain areas.
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh): Communal tension continues to prevail in certain areas of Khandwa district after a controversial drive against stray animals launched by the local civic body on Thursday, a day before Eid al Adha was celebrated in India.
Earlier on Thursday evening 11 people were injured, mostly belonging to minority community and some vehicles were burnt. Police had immediately come into action and used force and people were restricted from assembling on streets.
According to locals, the situation turned tense after police started to search houses of minority community to find if they have calves, bulls or cows in their houses. Police allegedly caught some bulls and cows from the houses of minority community that were apparently kept by them to slaughter during Eid.
Slaughtering of cows, bulls and calves is banned in Madhya Pradesh. A similar ban is imposed recently in Maharashtra by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
“Sudden searching of Muslim houses by police in Muslim areas a day before Eid terrorised people who were otherwise preparing to celebrate Eid next day. Police forcefully entered houses, abused residents if they found bulls in their houses and even used foul language when women restricted them not to enter their houses”, a local source told TwoCircles.net.
Locals allege police detained at least 40 Muslim youths from the region under the allegation that they had kept bulls or cows planned for slaughtering on occasion of Eid.
Amir Jamaal, Mufti Sahib from Bhopal told TwoCircles.net that he is receiving multiple phone calls from community people alleging atrocities at the hands of police.
“People in Khandwa could not celebrate Eid and a curfew like situation developed a day before Eid there. Some areas still remain tense as police ran bulldozers over the houses of Muslims in Imlipura on Wednsday alleging that those houses are constructed on illegal lands”, Jamaal told TwoCircles.net.
“I had called SP there and asked him to protect interest of Muslims during Eid and he had assured me of proper handling of the situation but I continue to receive phone calls from people there alleging police atrocities”, he added.
Rashtra Bhakt Yuva Veer Manch, a right wing organization handed over a memorandum to government authority before Eid demanding strict vigilance for no slaughtering of bulls and cows on the occasion of Eid by Muslims. It had also demanded demolition of houses from Shkartalab area that were allegedly constructed on illegally.
“There are many buildings in this area and people are living here since many years. Right-wing men have instigated authorities against these houses by providing false information that bulls and cows were slaughtered in these houses on Eid. It is sad that the authority is acting biased and police are given free hand under the name of gauwansh law”, a local social activist told TwoCircles.net on condition of anonymity.
“Police waited to see if we get any support after their atrocities on Eid and as the news was suppressed by media and Muslims did not react strongly to the police atrocities. On Wednesday, they came with bulldozers to ground decade old houses of Muslims that are not illegal but are established on Wakf land. Is this not our own land?” he questioned with a heartfelt voice.
