Tension prevailed in Chamoli district as police file cases against 500 unidentified persons for Nandghat violence
Tension prevailed in Chamoli district as police file cases against 500 unidentified persons for Nandghat violence
S.M.A.KAZMI
Dehradun , Sept 3
Tension prevailed in Chamoli district as Hindutva groups took out procession in Gopeshwar town of the city following violence against Muslim shops at Nandghat in the district on Sunday. The district administration has imposed section 163 of Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 which prohibits gathering of four and more people similar to section 144 of the Indian Penal Code(IPC) prevalent earlier.
The police have registered a case against 300 unidentified people for attacking, ransacking and looting the shops belonging to Muslims at Nandghat. A case has also been registered against 200 unidentified persons for damaging the makeshift mosque.
The trouble started at Nandghat market near Nandprayag in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Sunday following allegations of eve-teasing and making indecent gestures to a minor girl by a Muslim youth who was running a barber shop in the area. The father of the minor girl had lodged a complaint with the police a few days ago as the alleged accused absconded. An irate mob of Hindutva groups raising provocative slogans against minority Muslim community attacked, ransacked and looted atleast seven shops owned by Muslims in Nandghat market. They also damaged a makeshift mosque where the Muslims used to pray. They also damaged some vehicles owned by the Muslims.
A few Muslims took shelter in the local police station to save themselves from the angry Hindutva mob on Sunday while some others were given shelter by their neighbours. Most of the women and children belonging to Muslim community were sent back to Srinagar Garhwal for safety on September 3night, as per Dr Nayyar Kazmi, President of the Uttarakhand unit of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) who is based at Roorkee town of Haridwar. “ We have sought an appointment from Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) to apprise him about the plight of Muslims in Chamoli district,” he said.
Meanwhile, the traders and Hindutva groups forced a bandh at Nandghat market for the third day today seeking arrest of two more persons in the eve-teasing case. Already, the alleged accused Arif Khan was arrested by the police from Bijnore. The Hindutva groups are demanding that his alleged accomplices Shahid, Ahmed Hasan and Ayub should also be arrested. Darshan Bharati, a firebrand Hindutva leader who is known for his anti-Muslim hate speeches also reached Nandghat on September 2 and addressed a gathering of locals.
The rally by Hindutva groups at Gopeshwar town starting from ramlila ground till bus stand. A recitation of ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ was done by the protestors who demanded that police should verify all the ‘outsiders’ living in the district. Senior police officials including District police chief Sarvesh Panwar are camping in the area with large police force.
