Tensions were witnessed in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh after a group of men tried to hoist the BJP flag on the roof of a mosque while celebrating the party’s victory in the recently concluded assembly elections. The incident took place on the night of March 15, according to a report in The Times of India.
“It was around 9.30pm when a procession of men with tilaks on their foreheads passed through the area beating on drums celebrating BJP’s win. A few of them stood in front of the gate of the mosque and then began hoisting the flag on the roof of the mosque. Some of us objected to this, which led to an altercation,” Mohsin Ahmad, an eyewitness, told the paper. Chachrai village in Jehangirabad block, where the incident took place, has a near equal population of Hindus and Muslims.
Police and personnel of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed in the area following the altercation. “When the police arrived, the men left the place but not before warning us that they would come armed with swords the next time. There is peace now due to the presence of the PAC contingent and the police, but there is an air of uncertainty within the Muslim community here,” a resident of the village told The Times of India.
The SHO of Jehangirabad police station has, however, stated that they are investigating the matter and that peace will be maintained in the area. Senior officials are also monitoring the situation according to the report. The BJP’s district chief has denied the involvement of party-members in the incident.