By Piyush Srivastava
Two groups of participants at the Holi Laat Sahab procession clashed in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur over an unknown issue and hurled shoes
and stones at police when they intervened.
Video footage aired by TV channels and shared on social media showed the troublemakers fleeing the spot and the police caning a biker coming from the opposite direction.
Rajesh S, deputy inspector-general of Shahjahanpur, denied any lathi-charge. “There were 4-5 boys who were creating trouble and the police were driving them away. It is a rumour on social media that the police lathi-charged.”
Police sources said some youths in the procession had started fighting with each other. “First, a group attacked a youth. Later some people came to his rescue and a full-fledged fight broke out. However, they fled from the spot when the cops reached there,” said a policeman who didn’t want to be named. No arrests have been made yet.
In Sambhal, considered one of the communally sensitive places in the state, Holi and Friday prayers passed peacefully amid heavy security. The state government had deployed over 1,000 police and paramilitary personnel who conducted flag marches even though over 1,000 potential troublemakers were confined to their houses.
The Holi procession concluded at 1.30pm and Muslims offered Jumma Namaz at 2.30pm, 90 minutes after the usual time.
Shrish Chandra, additional superintendent of police, told reporters: “Two roads leading to Shahi Jama Masjid were barricaded and the façade of 10 mosques in the city were covered with tarpaulin for a peaceful Holi procession.”
This story was originally published in telegraphindia.com. Read the full story here.
