On Friday (July 26) evening, a speeding car driving on the wrong side of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway crashed into Hindu Kanwar devotees participating in the Kanwar Yatra. The collision damaged a Kanwar, a sacred container used to carry holy water during the religious procession, rendering the devotee’s journey ineffective.

The crash led to an altercation between the Kanwariyas (Hindu devotees) and the car occupants. While three of the four people in the car managed to escape, one was caught and handed over to the police. It later emerged that the occupants of the car were of the Muslim faith. This revelation led to some Islamist groups portraying themselves as victims and criticizing the Yatra.

Media coverage of the incident has been contentious, with reports framing the car occupants as victims and accusing the Hindu devotees of violence and vandalism over what is described as a minor incident.

The accident occurred in Partapur, where the Delhi-Dehradun Highway and Delhi-Meerut Expressway intersect. The car, travelling on the wrong side, hit a Kanwar carried by a devotee walking from Haridwar to Ghaziabad. The collision damaged the devotee’s water pot, which is used to transport holy Ganga Jal for worship.

Following the crash, the devotees attempted to apprehend the car occupants, leading to a violent confrontation. Despite the chaos, police managed to calm the situation and arranged for the affected devotees to retrieve Ganga Jal again from Haridwar. The police seized the car involved in the accident.

The Kanwariyas reported that they had warned the car’s occupants about their dangerous driving but were ignored. They claimed that the accident occurred because the car was driving on the wrong side of the road.

While the Kanwariyas demanded strict action against the car occupants, the situation escalated, resulting in one occupant being assaulted. Media reports, however, have criticized the Hindu devotees and depicted them as aggressors, with some Islamist groups using the incident to accuse them of communal violence.

On social media, many users have criticized these reports and the portrayal of Kanwariyas, arguing that there is an effort to discredit their religious practice and frame them unfairly.