Major communal violence broke out on Thursday in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, following the destruction of an illegal madrasa and a nearby mosque, resulting in several deaths and injuries. The state’s government has issued shoot-at-sight orders against the rioters, and the city is under curfew as a result of the violence.
To prevent hate messages, internet services have also been entirely shut down. Following an order from the court, a group of government officials and a large police force tried to destroy a mosque that was deemed “illegal,” which escalated into a violent altercation.
Authorities claim that because the madrasa and mosque were constructed illegally, they had to be demolished. But this action provoked a crowd in the Vanbhulpura region, which ignited violence. More than fifty police officers suffered injuries as a result of the fights. Stones were thrown at the authorities by the angry crowd of people, who were referred to as “unruly elements.” Police responded by using tear gas and lathi charges.
The state of law and order got worse by the rioters set many parked cars outside the police station on fire. The government land that the madrasa and mosque were supposedly expanding onto was to be cleared using demolitions. Senior Superintendent of Police Prahlad Kumari claims that the demolitions were carried out by a court order.
Angry locals protested in the streets as the bulldozer destroyed the buildings. They attacked police officers with force and hit over the barricades. Angry crowds also threw stones at journalists, municipal staff members, and law officers, causing injuries as well as property damage.
According to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a court order was obtained before the destruction could begin. He said that the current state of events resulted from conflicts between the local “anti-social elements” and the police and authorities who were called in to carry out the demolition operation.
In an appeal for people to keep the peace, the Chief Minister said that more police and central forces are being sent to the affected districts to restore the state of law and order.
