Scores of people, including the district magistrate and a police circle officer, were injured in clashes between BJP workers and police at Moradabad district in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, after the mob was stopped from holding a mahapanchayat at Kaanth over a religious dispute.
Tension started building up in Moradabad last week when the administration removed a loudspeaker from a temple in Nayagaon village which comes under Kaanth tehsil.
People of the village and surrounding areas protested and police had to lob teargas shells and open fire in the air to disperse the mobs. After the incident, BJP had called for a meeting on Thursday and a mahapanchayat on Friday. Naresh Agarwal, general secretary of the ruling SP and a member of Parliament, said there was an agreement at Thursday’s meeting to call off the mahapanchayat.
Police had detained BJP MLA Sangeet Som, who was on his way to Kanth. Som was later released on bail.
Three party MPs Kunwar Singh Tanwar, Satyapal Saini and Nepal Singh were also detained when they tried to defy the ban and hold a mahapanchayat.
“But due to vested political interest they tried to communalise the atmosphere today. Strict action will be taken against those who are trying to spoil the atmosphere,” he added.