The agitators turned violent when the authorities used bulldozers to destroy the unauthorized madrassa and mosque in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani in response to a court order. The Banbhoolpura police station and petrol pump were lit on fire, stones were thrown, shots were fired, cars were damaged and a bulldozer’s glass was smashed. There was an attempt to burn the police personnel alive. Hindu activists assisted the cops and the victims during this time. Several policewomen had to undergo hospitalisation.
A member of Bajrang Dal who was present at the scene recounted what he witnessed to OpIndia. Haldwani resident Joginder Singh Rana described it as an unfortunate tragedy. He mentioned that he hadn’t experienced such an incident since gaining consciousness. He added that there had been rioting in 1992 during the disputed Babri structure’s demolition, however, such scale of violence didn’t take place even at the time. He reported that stones were hurled at cops and the clothes of female police personnel were torn off.
He detailed the arson of the petrol pump and police station in Banbhoolpura. He characterised it as a terrifying experience. According to Joginder Singh Rana, he spoke with police and administration officials on 8th February (Thursday) at 10 pm. They informed him that four hospitals in Haldwani had admitted between 100 and 150 cops from Gaya. The Hindu activists were requested by the police administration to tend to the injured cops.
The Bajrang Dal member stated that they assisted half past one in the morning even though their safety was at risk while going to the hospitals due to the continuous confrontation between the police and the protestors. He pointed out that he was worried because a few months before, there had been tensions in Nuh when jihadists had attempted to break into the hospital and kill policemen. As a result, the Hindu activists were both helping and guarding the patients in the hospital.
He noted that all Hindu activists could handle such dire situations. He advised victims to file complaints with the administration, stressing that the Muslim extremists’ decision to assault the police amounted to an onslaught on democratic principles. He explained how the policewomen cried and fled for their lives. Some even broke into houses to protect themselves. Joginder Singh Rana while praising the people of the Valmiki community revealed that the local Valmiki people worked together with the police.
However, he also made the demand for the verification of the persons who came there from outside. He talked about how gasoline was poured into glass and plastic bottles to create bombs. The magazine was also snatched from the cops. Bottles that were lying in the trash were used to make a petrol bomb. He remarked that they are the same people who deal in garbage. Regarding the argument that “all Muslims are not the same,” he observed that he spotted all of them to be among those who targeted law enforcement.
He recalled that the ‘Bajrang Dal’ dropped an injured Muslim police officer at his home after aiding him at the Banbhoolpura police station. “The situation would have been worse if the police officers or the people of Valmiki Samaj had not stopped them. A gathering of five to six thousand persons was present. An inquiry should be conducted into how stones or gasoline were acquired in such a short amount of time,” emphasised Joginder Singh Rana. The Hindu activists put their lives in danger to assist and safeguard the police officers.
OpIndia was informed by another eyewitness, Deepanshu, that the female constable was sobbing and voicing that she was hurt. He highlighted, “Imagine the tears a person would shed if a brick were to fall on him. It was an excruciating scene. Stones were being thrown from the rooftops by the attackers and the tank was filled with stones instead of water. The video survey did not reveal any stones because they were hidden. Blood was donated by ‘Bajrang Dal’ and ‘Vishva Hindu Parishad’ workers. The administration is not at fault for this. They had come to carry out their duties as directed by the government.”
