Uttarakhand’s Haldwani witnessed Islamist violence after the authorities demolished several establishments, including a mosque and a madrasa, which were illegally constructed on government land, on Thursday (8 January). According to Brij Lal, former UP DGP and Rajyasabha MP, PFI, and Bangladeshi intruders were behind the Haldwani riots. Brij Lal demanded the rioters be given the harshest punishment.

As is their wont, several ‘liberals’ attempted to play down and whitewash the Islamist violence at Haldwani. However, testimonies of local Hindus confirmed that the entire violence was pre-planned and targeted against Hindus.

Rioters asked the names of the people before assaulting them, said one of the victims. He said only Hindus were attacked, and Muslims were let off.

Another survivor of the Haldwani violence is Mithun Kumar, who is employed as a driver with the Haldwani Nagar Nigam. “It was horrifying, and saving our lives looked like an uphill task. The rioters were assaulting us with stones, bricks, rods, sticks and any other object they could lay their hands on. We were surrounded with no way to escape the attack. I was inside the vehicle and managed to get out of it somehow. However, I fell when running away from the mob. Bricks were thrown at me after I fell, leaving my leg injured. My leg is fractured, my hand and back were also hurt, and I also received a head injury,” Mithun said.

Mithun further confirmed that the entire violence appeared to be pre-planned. He says women took the lead and were the first to attack them. When the women were controlled, children came out to attack them, and when the authorities also controlled the latter, a mob gathered and assaulted them. We were surrounded by the mob and managed to escape by sheer stroke of luck. They had also set fire to motorbikes and cars parked there.

Another victim of the Islamist violence was Ajay, who was merely passing by when the rioters shot him. Ajay was admitted to the hospital in a severe condition and is battling for his life. His distressed mother and brother expressed hope that Ajay would survive and get well soon. It must be mentioned that Ajay is a scrap picker and the family’s sole breadwinner.

Madhav Saxena is a journalist who got injured in the attack. He said that the entire riots were pre-planned and squatters had illegally occupied government land in Haldwani.

A journalist working with Amar Ujala narrated a similar harrowing experience. He says the rioters surrounded them, and when they took shelter behind a vehicle, stones were pelted at them. The journalist was then pushed into the fire by the rioters to burn him alive.

According to a local journalist, only Hindus were targeted. He said Muslim journalists were allowed to go by the rioters without even a scratch. Islamists were intentionally targeting Hindu journalists, police authorities, and workers, among others.

One of the police officers informed the media that stone pelting began as soon as the demolition team reached the site. “We somehow made our way to the main demolition point. People immediately surrounded us. After we finished the demolition of the masjid and returned, the mob followed us. Some of the jawans were left behind, and some got injured. Windows of vehicles were broken, and stones were pelted on those inside the vehicle. Several vehicles were set on fire, including a patrolling van, a Haldwani Nagar Nigam tractor, and private cars and bikes. The attackers also had pistols with them, and they were firing,” he said.

Earlier, a Hindu activist recalling the Haldwani horror said 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.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the Banbhoolpura area in Haldwani and took stock of the situation after wide-scale violence and destruction of public property there by rioters. He ordered strict action against the rioters and directed the administration to act tough against those who interfered in implementing the government’s directions.

(Featured Image Source: Panchajanya)