Two-century-old shrine razed in Fatehpur, Bajrang Dal functionary held
KANPUR, Dec. 25 -- Police arrested a Bajrang Dal coordinator and launched a manhunt for eight others after a two-century-old shrine was allegedly demolished in Fatehpur's Mawai village on Tuesday. The incident, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, purportedly shows men destroying the structure with hammers while making references to Bangladesh.
An FIR has been registered against five named individuals and four unidentified persons following a complaint by a sub-inspector. The arrested accused, Narendra Hindu, was produced before the court. Raids are underway to apprehend the remaining accused, police said on Wednesday.
The FIR alleges the accused damaged the shrine of Wali Shah Baba, delivered communally provocative speeches, disturbed social harmony and hurt religious sentiments. The case has been registered under sections 191(2), 298, 301, 196 and 324(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Hindu, identified as Bhitoora block coordinator of the Bajrang Dal, is being questioned.
The shrine, located in a predominantly Hindu area, had been partially damaged during previous road work and repaired by residents. Villagers claimed around two dozen men arrived in the afternoon with hammers, spades and sticks, and demolished the structure without resistance.
"The incident came to our notice after the video went viral. One person has been arrested and sent to jail. Action against others named in the FIR is in progress," said Alok Pandey, station house officer of Husainaganj.
Local revenue records show the structure, measuring about 10-12 square metres, was not officially recognised as a shrine. "The so-called shrine had been constructed several years ago on land recorded as part of the village settlement.
The surrounding area is entirely inhabited by Hindu families," said Amresh Kumar Singh, tehsildar of Sadar.
Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal officials claimed the action was linked to a land dispute. "The structure was being used to assert ownership of the land. Some bricks were removed, but there was no shrine. Residents cleared the site themselves," said Virendra Pandey, provincial coordinator of the organisation.
This is the second such incident in Fatehpur in recent months.
Earlier, a shrine in Abunagar was vandalised, leading to FIRs against several BJP leaders and Hindu nationalist figures....
To read the full article or to get the complete feed from this publication, please
Contact Us.