Violence broke out during a Durga idol immersion procession in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday, resulting in at least twenty people being injured. The conflict emerged due to Muslims objecting to music being played by DJ during a Durga Puja immersion ceremony in the Baldirai region. The police reached the spot and controlled the situation. An investigation has been initiated into the matter.
UP के सुल्तानपुर में दुर्गा पूजा विसर्जन शोभायात्रा में DJ तेज आवाज में बजाने पर टकराव। मस्जिद के सामने शोभायात्रा पहुंचने पर विवाद बढ़ा। पथराव और तोड़फोड़ में पुलिसकर्मियों सहित कई घायल। #Sultanpur pic.twitter.com/cGSBbpA2el
— Sachin Gupta (@sachingupta787) October 10, 2022
On Monday, the Maa Bhagwati immersion procession began in Para Bazar town and progressed till near the Baba Junglenath Mahadev Temple. Because the procession was so long, it made its way around a nearby mosque. Following this, members from the mosque came out and demanded the procession to stop playing the songs. Upon this, individuals from both sides confronted each other, and an altercation ensued. Hundreds of people arrived within minutes, and the disagreement escalated into stone pelting, injuring numerous individuals and torching several vehicles.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Amarendra Prasad Singh, DM Ravish Gupta, and SP Somen Verma arrived on the scene and took control of the situation. Apart from constable Drigpal and Vishal Sonkar, Matafer of Raina Jagdishpur, Dilip Kumar of Walipur, Lalu Yadav of Jagdishpur, Jitendra, Brijlal, Neeraj Jamuna Prasad, Shubham of Hemanpur and others are among the injured, as per reports.
According to reports, the event was not random and appeared to be pre-planned, since hundreds of individuals assembled in minutes to disrupt the procession. According to Somen Verma, SP Sultanpur, the injured have been taken to the hospital by ambulance. “To ensure law and order, a huge police force has been deployed on the spot. The matter has been calmed. In this case, fair and rigorous action will be taken. The guilty will never escape punishment,” he said.
Police are probing the whole matter. Along with reviewing the film from the CCTV cameras positioned nearby, the persons present on the scene are being questioned in the probe. Mahesh Kumar Jaiswal, head of the Central Puja Committee Sultanpur, has stated that the Durga idols would not be submerged until the idols of the Walipur region progress. He has urged that the miscreants face the harshest punishment possible.
