Uttarakhand state is on high alert after huge riots raised against the police personnel. More than 100 police personnel have been injured and 5 people deaths have been reported in the riots till now. The internet services have been suspended in Haldwani’s Banhoolpura which was subjected to huge violence on Thursday night. We have covered everything from the cause and response of riots.
Uttarakhand Riots:
The Uttarakhand’s Banhoolpura saw huge violence against the Anti-encroachment drive. These riots came after the demolition of the Madrasa and Mosque that was illegally constructed on the government’s land.
The demolitions took place due to a court order in the presence of police officers and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). However, this demolition caused angriness in the public who gathered in large groups and protested against the demolition.
The protest took place at Madrasa and Mosque locations with the public crossing the limits of the permitted area of demolition. First, the police station was damaged totally by the protesters and then they moved towards Gandhi Nagar causing havoc situation.
Huge riots took place between police personnel and protesters at night with several casualties reported. On Friday curfew was placed in the city along with shoot-at-sight orders if crossed the limits by protesters after several meetings concluded.
Government Action:
As the protest saw a huge rise on Thursday night Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, DGP Abhinav Kumar and ADG Law & Order AP Anshuman conducted the first review meetings in Haldwani. Several meetings have been conducted under different authorities to analyse the situation 24/7 in the violence-hit areas.
The district administration has suspended internet services in the violence-hit zone. They have instructed to close all the schools and colleges to ensure the safety of children. The government urged people to not participate in protests and riots.
The District Magistrate stated it was not a particular group/ communal that caused the protests rather several groups planned to take on government actions. Pelting stones at government authorities as the demolition drive was conducted and Mob attacks which had petrol bombs all were part of this plan.
Those groups also planned to terrorise the area however the government stated it would find them and take strict action against them. A huge police force along with paramilitary personnel have been deployed to take down the protests. This increased the security in the violence-hit areas.
Why Demolition Happened:
A drive has been initiated to protect the state government assets where land encroachments have been part of it. The government has issued notices to all the organisations and individuals who were part of these government land encroachments.
However, many did not attend the hearings in the High Court. Even these madrasas and mosques have not been registered anywhere as religious places.
The authorities stated the demolition took place only after everything was processed legally regarding the land encroachments. After all the proceedings in the cases, the demolition took place in the presence of PWD and Municipal Corporation. The protests challenged the state government’s ability to handle huge protests and riots simultaneously.
Conclusion:
About 15-20 individuals were detained and 4 arrested who were part of attacks after a CCTV footage. The police stated they were going to use the Unlawful Activities Act (UAPA) against the rioters. On Friday paramilitary personnel were called and deployed.
Flag marches were conducted in violence-hit areas to restore normal situations. By the end of the protests, more than 100 police personnel have been injured and 4 deaths are reported in public. Though the government aimed at the safety of the public it was necessary to take few actions against the protests as the protests emerged into huge riots.
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Image Credit – The Mint