UP village tense after bid to hoist BJP flag on mosque

MEERUT: Tension arose in Bulandshahr when a group of men beating dhols and celebrating the BJP victory in UP allegedly tried to install a party flag on the roof of a mosque Wednesday night.Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) men have been deployed in the area and senior officials are monitoring the situation. The incident happened at Chachrai village in Bulandshahr. The village has a population of 2,000 with equal number of Hindus and Muslims.

Mohsin Ahmad, a villager who was at the scene, told TOI, “It was around 9:30pm when a procession of men with tilaks on their foreheads passed through the areas. A few of them first stood in front of the mosque gate and then began installing the flag on the roof of the mosque itself. We objected and this led to an altercation.“

Though timely intervention by cops tempered the situation, there is palpable fear in the village. “When police arrived, the men left the place but not before warning us that they would come with swords the next time. There is peace right now due to the presence of the PAC contingent and the police force, but there is a sense of uncertainty prevailing within the Muslim community here,“ said Furkan Ali, another resident of the village.

Shyam Vir Singh, SHO of Jehangirabad police station, said they are investigating the matter. BJP has denied its involvement in the episode. District unit chief Himanshu Mittal said it was the handiwork of some “anti-social elements“.