It seems that all hell broke loose because of Durga Puja ‘Visarjan’ falling on the eve of Muharram Ashura day, specially in Deoria district, UP. The country has seen various riots after Muharram from October 12 onward, in spite of Hindus delaying Durga Visarjan for Muharram processions and namaz at many places . Particularly, reports have come in from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh of assault on Hindus, entire villages have been ransacked in Muharram anger.

Latest victims are Hindus of Lar Town and surrounding villages in Deoria district in UP. SP of Deoria, Mohammad Imran has allegedly been complicit in assault and FIR /complaints on Hindus. Several victims and eye witnesses have voiced his apparent bias against Hindu villagers. Some of the points highlighted by people who have relatives living in Deoria are :

1. He forced Hindus to do Visarjan after 2 days due to Muharram. The villagers didn’t ask him to give this unlawful order in written.
2. When Hindus were doing Visarjan, stones and eggs were pelted on the Durga idol and the crowd from mosques and Muslim houses.
3. Instead of punishing the stone pelting Muslims, this police started going after objecting Hindus.
4. More than 500 Hindus are arrested, many villages are empty of Hindu men.
5. With help of state government and local Samajwadi party unit, local media is totally gagged.
6. National Media has not yet reached this area regarding this news.
7. Some Hindus have been shoved around and beaten too.
8. While Muslims took out Muharram processions with great show demonstrating swords, hockey sticks and rods; photographs of similar processions by Hindus depicting the valor of Maa Durga by carrying swords were misused to file police complaints against Hindus.

Photographs sent by victims :

Even after 4 days, Hindus are still being targeted. Affected villages are : Hata, Nadauli, Patna, Ukina, Maharana Ghat, Churiya-Karcho, Garhwa and Lar Town. 

Natives of Deoria district, now living in outside cities, took to social media voicing out the happenings in the district :

Biased Muslim SP has created Curfew like situation for all Hindu males in villages of Deoria, UP @HMOIndia @Uppolice https://t.co/fbcFsynmMq

— Amit Srivastava (@AmiSri) October 16, 2016

Since the affected area is also my paternal hometown, I am getting 100s of SOS call from victim Hindu families. #Deoria

— Amit Srivastava (@AmiSri) October 17, 2016

Locals are also calling their relatives in the cities alleging that Hindu women are being harassed by Muslim miscreants while many Hindu men have been stuffed in jail. It seems that most of the local VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) and Bajrang Dal leaders are arrested. The MLAs of opposition parties like BJP are detained and not allowed to enter the area in the name of maintaining law & order. Alarmingly, as per locals, 6 to 7 dead bodies of Hindus have been recovered from river Gandak. This needs to be thoroughly investigated.

(We thank Sh. Amit Srivastava for speaking to us with details).

Correction / Update

An earlier version of this article mentioned that Durga Puja ‘Visarjan’ was falling on the same day as Muharram Ashura day. In fact, Durga Puja concluded on Oct 11 with Muharram occurring the next day on 12 Oct. However, in many places processions (tazia) are held on the eve of Moharram which co-incided with the Durga Puja visarjan.

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