Tension continues to bubble between Muslims and Hindus at Ballabhgarh as once again the talk between the two communities went in vain on Sunday.
“The first thing the Muslim community wants is the arrest of the Jat culprits, who torch their homes in an hour-long rampage and the construction of the disputed mosque in Atali village. Only then they will return to the village.
“We want the accused to be arrested promptly. There can be no talks until then,” Firoz Ali, a villager from Atali, said.
A delegation of Jats, along with members of the district administration, met the Muslims and assured them of no further violence. But talks failed once again as the construction of the mosque still continues to drive a wedge between the two communities.
“I don’t know the delegation who went to meet the Muslims said. But we are not going to allow the mosque to be built near the temple,” Satish Singh, a farmer in the village, said.
“Will Jats allow the Muslims to come back to the village?” The construction of the mosque at the disputed site is not something most villagers are willing to acknowledge,” a senior official said, who wished to be anonymous.
“We are going to arrest them very soon”. We have told the Muslim community about our efforts. The situation is sensitive right now, so we need to be vigilant,” Commissioner of Police, Subhash Yadav, said.
Sunday was the third successive day when meetings to persuade the Muslim community to return to village failed.
The families had fled the village following communal violence on Monday evening. They are presently camped at the Ballabhgarh (City) police station.
District administration is planning to change their strategy for resolution of the dispute soon. Police said they are still trying to arrest the accused in the case.