Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
On Sunday night, communal tension erupted in Sigra area of Narendra Modi’s constituency Varanasi on a case of land grabbing.
Newly elected BJP MLA from Pindra seat of Varanasi Awadhesh Singh allegedly held a land piece which is said to be of a proposed Mosque. On Sunday evening, Awadhesh Singh’s supporters and workers started erecting a boundary wall around the land.
Some local Muslims reached at the land site and opposed the construction. The debate between the two sides and reached the nearby Sigra police station.
While the Muslims were shouting slogans and asking police to stop the construction, some fringe elements threw stones from mob. Following this, stone pelting started from both sides leaving around ten people injured.
Police dispersed the crowd by using mild lathicharge, with the use of tear gas and pepper bombs. More force was asked and deployed in the area to bring calm. Police has imposed Section 144 at the site, and has claimed that tension was spontaneous, not planned.
With the incident, the tension has increased in the area because of Month of Saawan. Saawan usually gets high number of Shiva worshipers due to which administration is put on high alert.
Local sources have informed TwoCircles.net that tension lasted for at least an hour and the protestors were repulsed towards a different locality. The information also revealed that alleged land grabber MLA had the land in possession from past few years, he used to tie his cows at the land. But on Sunday, he suddenly started building a wall around the land.
Moreover, the incident also shows that people and police are refraining from taking name of the land grabber. Rumors are spreading over social media, police has asked individuals to not to pay attention on any message on the case received through social media.
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