A clash broke out between two communities during the immersion of the Devi Durga idol in Rehua Mansoor village in the Hardi police station area of Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, after Muslims objected to DJ music played in the procession. One person was shot dead during the violence while several others were injured from stone pelting. The deceased has been identified as 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, who was part of the idol immersion group.
Mishra was rushed to the medical college hospital after the firing, but he died there during treatment.
As per reports, the incident took place at Rehua Mansoor village on Sunday evening, when the idol of Maa Durga was taken out for immersion. When the procession heading towards Gauriya Ghat was passing in front of a mosque in the Maharajganj area chanting religious slogans, Muslims gathered near the mosque asked the procession to stop the DJ music.
Uttar Pradesh: A disagreement over DJ music in Bahraich turned violent when one side opened fire. After the fight, a young man died from his injuries in the hospital.
— IANS (@ians_india) October 13, 2024
The trouble started during an idol immersion ceremony. In reaction to the young man's death, local people held… https://t.co/edXwTl2nNU pic.twitter.com/APi5tBZXok
This led to an argument between two sides, and amid the chaos, some people started pelting stones on the procession and the idols.
The Hindus asked the police present their to arrest the culprits, but in the meantime more people from Muslim community arrived there.
Amid the mayhem caused by the stone pelting, some miscreant opened fire. As per reporters, someone from the residence of Abdul Hamid in the area fired shots. Ram Gopal Mishra, son of Kailash Nath of Rehua Mansoor village was shot from a close range. He was shifted to the Medical College in Bahraich, but he succumbed to injuries during treatment.
Another person named Saroj Tiwari also have been hospitalised after he was injured from stone pelting.
Angry with the death of the youth, his family members and others part of the immersion blocked the road by placing the body outside the medical college. Immersions were stopped in the city after the incident, and the idols were placed on the road junction there. The idols have been damaged from stone pelting.
People involved in the immersion procession vandalised houses and vehicles in the Maharaj Gaj Bazaar area, and set them on fire. Reportedly four houses and several two wheelers were burnt by angry protestors.
The Hindu protestors allege that Hardi police personnel are responsible for the incident, claiming that the police could have pacify the situation at the beginning but they didn’t. They alleged that instead of taking action on Muslims, the police lathicharged the Hindus for protesting against the attack instead.
Uttar Pradesh: A disagreement over DJ music in Bahraich turned violent when one side opened fire. After the fight, a young man died from his injuries in the hospital. The trouble started during an idol immersion ceremony. In reaction to the young man's death, local people held a… pic.twitter.com/UmChcktcoJ
— IANS (@ians_india) October 13, 2024
After around 2 hours, senior police officials reached the scene and brought the situation under control. Police forces have been deployed at the area to prevent escalation of the situation. However, police officers refused to talk to the media about the incident.
The police have asked the devotees to continue the immersion of idols, but the Hindus have refused to do so, demanding justice. A large number of devotees who were part of the procession had already fled due to the attack and the chaos.
