On Tuesday (19th December), communal tension erupted in the Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh as a mob of Muslims clashed with Hindu devotees over the construction of a temple boundary. The situation escalated to the point where stones were hurled by these Muslims at the police attempting to control the matter. In response, the police have taken legal action by filing an FIR against 34 individuals, including Abdullah and Rahis, resulting in the arrest of five people. To quell the unrest in the village, additional forces have been deployed.
According to reports, the incident is from the Moodhapande police station area in Moradabad. In Raunda, there stands a revered symbol of the Hindu faith, the Mata Chamunda Devi temple. Devotees have long sought to improve the dilapidated boundary wall surrounding the sacred site. On 25th November 2023, as devotees were engaged in the construction of the boundary wall, members from the Muslim community arrived and expressed their protest. Subsequently, law enforcement intervened, bringing an immediate halt to the ongoing construction work.
The construction work for the boundary wall of the temple resumed on Tuesday (19th December). During this time, a mob of Muslims assembled at the site, vehemently opposing the ongoing construction. Notably, the protest included Muslim women. In response to the opposition, a declaration was made to initiate construction at their religious site if the temple’s construction was not halted. The situation became tense, prompting the intervention of law enforcement at the scene.
Allegedly, amidst the heated dialogue, Muslims initiated stone pelting. This was captured in a viral video which is circulating on social media. In an attempt to quell the unruly behaviour, the police resorted to using force, leading to a clash with the stone pelters. Women constables were also targeted and struck by the thrown stones. Despite the adversity, the police managed to subdue the miscreants. Following a complaint filed by the outpost in-charge Sub-Inspector Surendra Kumar, an FIR has been officially lodged against a total of 34 individuals involved in the incident.
Abdullah and Rahis are the prime accused in this case. Action has been taken against all of them under the Criminal Act and indecency with the police team. So far 5 accused have been arrested. Many accused are absconding.
स्थानीय थाना पुलिस द्वारा शांति व्यवस्था के दृष्टिगत दो पक्षो के विरूद्ध निरोधात्मक कार्यवाही की गई है। प्रकरण के संबंध में पुलिस द्वारा सतर्क दृष्टि रखी जा रही है।
— MORADABAD POLICE (@moradabadpolice) December 20, 2023
Witnessing the inter-community stress situation, the village saw the deployment of PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) forces alongside an augmentation of the police presence. A video provided to OpIndia by local journalist Sumit Tandon captures a tense situation where a group from the Muslim community engages in a heated argument with the inspector. Notably, numerous women actively participate in the discourse. The confrontational crowd is also seen issuing threats against the inspector, displaying a determination to aggressively proceed towards the Hindu faction.
The video captures disturbing conversations within the crowd assembled from the Muslim side, wherein discussions about physical violence can be distinctly heard. Representing the Muslim faction, a woman lawyer identified as Zaibunnisha acknowledged the existence of the temple but contended that the Hindu side is currently expanding it. Zaibunnisha, asserting her legal expertise, claimed that the temple’s original construction had concluded.
