Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh): Violence erupted between Dalits and Thakurs for the third time in a month. This time, violence broke out over the procession to mark the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap, NDTV reported.
According to the reports, Dalits objected to the procession by Thakurs as they were not allowed to carry a similar event on Ambedkar Jayanti.
Last week, clashes between Dalits and Thakurs which broke out after Dalits objected to loud music being played by the Thakurs at a procession, left one person dead and over two dozen injured.
On Tuesday, Senior district and police officials took refuge in a residential colony after a mob attacked them and set fire to many vehicles, authorities said. Mob targeted police and other vehicles passing by, creating panic, witnesses said.
#WATCH: Stones pelted as clashes broke out between 2 communities in UP's Saharanpur; wrongdoers to be dealt with strongly says Police. pic.twitter.com/UryNS2mZi9
— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) May 9, 2017
More than a dozen motorcycles belonging to the media and police were set on fire. The mob also torched a police outpost and a police van.
Senior officials including Additional District Magistrate S.K. Dubey, City Magistrate Harish Chandra and senior police officers ran and sought shelter in a residential colony to escape the wrath of the mob.
District Magistrate N.P. Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Subhash Chandra Dubey rushed to the scene of violence with reinforcements and took control of the situation, officials said. A Home Department official said the situation was tense but under control.
According to scroll, Seven Dalits and 10 Thakurs were arrested.
It is to be mentioned that three months ago, Thankurs also objected to the installation of an Ambedkar statues in the village.
In April, after violence broke out during rally organized by BJP to mark Ambedkhar Jayanti, police registered two FIRs against BJP MP, Raghav Lakhanpal Sharma and 300 other protestors, Scroll reported.
With inputs from IANS