By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 27 Sep: A tense situation arose in the city when Muslim and Hindu organisations clashed outside the Dehradun railway station late last night. While the stone pelting was initiated by the members of a community which was agitated over the alleged marriage of a Muslim girl from Badaun with a Hindu youth, members of Hindu organisations who also turned up at the station countered the Muslims. The supporters of both communities came face to face over the issue.
The Police had to resort to a lathi charge and take members of both the communities into custody.
According to local sources, when the local Muslims came to know about the alleged marriage of a minor Muslim girl with a Hindu youth, they reached the railway station in large numbers and started pressuring to take action against the Hindu youth and also physically assaulted him. When the Hindu organisations came to know about this, they also reached the spot and started countering the actions and the demand of the Muslim side.
Soon, the people of the Muslim community got agitated and started pelting stones. In response to which the Hindu men also retaliated in their defence. Very soon, the issue snowballed and the Police arrived.
The Police force was led by SSP Dehradun Ajai Singh. The Police dispersed the crowd by resorting to a mild lathi charge. A large police force was deployed at and around the station and in the Muslim habitations behind the railway station.
Later, the police handed over the girl to her family, while the young man was handed over to his family with strict instructions not to contact the girl. An FIR was also registered against both the parties in this case. But, allegedly, the police started detaining only those people associated with the Hindutva organisation, leading to a strong protest from members of the Hindu community.
In protest, Paltan Bazaar was closed today on the appeal of various Hindu organisations. A large number of Hindu activists and members of the trade associations came out on the streets in protest against the allegedly biased action of the Police and also protested the detention of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Vikas Verma. A dharna was also held today in protest against the allegedly biased action of the Police and, as a result, the road was blocked for several hours. Later, in order to pacify the protestors, the Police personnel held a long discussion with them and, by the afternoon, Vikas Verma was released, after which the Paltan Bazaar reopened.
Speaking on the issue, SSP Ajai Singh claimed that Vikas Verma was detained for questioning. He was released after questioning. He also assured that the investigation of the case will continue further. Meanwhile, there is a anguish among various Hindutva organisations which alleged that, in this case, the Dhami government has taken one-sided action against the Hindutva leaders only, while ignoring the actions of the Muslim community.
In this regard a delegation of various Hindu organisations led by BJP’s State Treasurer Puneet Mittal also called on the SSP and SP City and demanded strict action against those who indulged in stone pelting.
Speaking to Garhwal Post, Mittal expressed serious concern over the fact that incidents like stone pelting have started happening in a peaceful city like Dehradun and the state of Uttarakhand. Mittal also expressed hope that the Police will take strict action soon against those who pelted stones outside the railway station though, so far, they have failed to do so. Mittal added that if strict action is not taken against the stone pelters, they will be encouraged to indulge in violence in future, also. Mittal shared that he has spoken in this regard to the CM, also, who has given instructions to the Police in this regard.
BJP Mahanagar President Siddharth Aggarwal also called up the CM in this regard this morning to demand immediate release of Vikas Verma of VHP, who was later released by the Police in the afternoon.
