Another Purola like incident sparks calls for ouster of ‘outsiders’ from Dharchula in Pithoragarh
Listen to this articleAnother Purola like incident sparks calls for ouster of ‘outsiders’ from Dharchula in Pithoragarh
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, Feb 13
After the incidents of Purola in Uttarkashi district in June 2023 where Hindu organisations including ruling BJP and RSS issued notices to Muslims to leave the area following an incident in which two youth one a Hindu and another a Muslim were found with a minor girl, similar demands are being raised at Dharchula town of Pithoragarh district following elopement of two minor girls from the town two weeks ago.
Local residents of Dharchula took out a procession on February 12 demanding that outsiders settled in Dharchula after the year 2000 be ousted from this sensitive border town so that the incidents like that of Haldwani could not occur here.
“Unidentified outsiders from various part of country have settled in this border town from last 20 years and are committing crimes like two youths did some 12 days ago. We demand to oust such elements from this sensitive part of the town,” said Mahesh Singh Garbiyal, mandal head of BJP in Dharchula who led the procession.
Two weeks ago, two youths from Bareilly had eloped with two minor girls from the town. Later, police have recovered the girls and arrested the culprits, nevertheless, the discontentment against such incidents is still brewing in the town.
The leaders of procession requested local house owners not to let their houses to such ‘unverified’ persons who come to the town in search of livelihood. “The presence of such elements is affecting local society from economic, social and cultural angels as these elements are feeding on local opportunities of livelihood,” said Ashok Nabiyal, former chairperson of Dharchula Nagar Palika.
A large number of people including women participated in the procession which was taken from Gandhi Chowk, Dharchula to sub-divisional office.
Meanwhile, police in Dharchula have stepped up the verification drive of outsiders in and around the town.”We have done the verification of over 236 people from outside who are living in Dharchula, Jauljibi and Baluakot till date and the work is in progress,” said Anil Kumar Arya, Station House Officer (SHO) of Baluakot police station.
