The father of 22-year-old Chandan Gupta who was killed in clashes following pelting of stones on a motorcycle rally taken out to celebrate Republic Day in Kasganj city of Western Uttar Pradesh, alleged that his son was killed for refusing to say ‘Pakistan Zindabad’.
The clashes happened after stones were reportedly pelted on the motorcycle rally taken out by VHP and ABPV volunteers as part of celebrations on the 69th Republic Day.
However, Shushil Gupta, father of Chandan Gupta alleged that his son was shot dead for refusing to say ‘Pakistan Zindabad’.
Chandan’s father who works in a private hospital told Navbharat Times, “My son was stopped and asked to say ‘Pakistan Zindabad, Hindustan Murdabad’. When Chandan refused, he was shot dead.” Chandan’s father said my son died while chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.
Gupta said that his son was a student of B.Com and was also running a private organization named Sankalp which was involved in social activities.
“If saying Hindustan zindabad…’Bharat Mata ki jai’… even after staying in the country is a crime, then shoot us too,” said Chandan’s mother Sangeeta Gupta.
The local administration has arrested 53 people for rioting and damaging public and private properties, besides imposing a curfew in the district. The authorities have shut down the Internet, and schools and colleges in the area as precautionary measures.
On Saturday, in a fresh violence, miscreants damaged at least three shops and torched a few other commercial establishments. A bus was also set on fire in the latest flare-up in the city, where a curfew was imposed yesterday after the clashes.
A strong posse of RAF and PAC personnel have intensified vigil in the district, whose borders have been sealed to stop elements detrimental to peace from sneaking into the city.
Earlier, At least three shops, two private buses and a car were torched on the second day of violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj city on Saturday, police said, after a young boy was killed in clashes following stone-pelting on a motorcycle rally taken out to celebrate the Republic Day.
Internet services have also been suspended till 10 pm on Sunday in trouble-torn areas in western Uttar Pradesh, where a curfew was imposed after clashes on Friday, to prevent spread of rumours on social media, they said.
Elaborating about the extent of damage, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Anand Kumar told PTI, “In all, three shops have been damaged, by pouring petrol below the shutter and setting it afire. Fire was also set on the seats of two private buses, but the engine of the buses are intact. One empty kiosk was also set ablaze by the anti-social elements. In the evening, the seats of an abandoned car were set ablaze.”
He claimed that no violence took place on Saturday, and “violence took place only yesterday (Friday)”.
A bus set on fire by a group of people who went on a rampage after the cremation of a young man killed on Friday in Kasganj. PTIA bus set on fire by a group of people who went on a rampage after the cremation of a young man killed on Friday in Kasganj. PTI
The ADG added, “Some anti-social elements had tried to break into the gate of a mosque yesterday (Friday), but were unable to do so, as police chased them away.”
Meanwhile, District Magistrate RP Singh said, “Internet services were also suspended in trouble-torn area till 10 pm on 28 January.”
Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said, “Two cases were registered yesterday (Friday). As many as nine arrests in two cases, 40 more preventive arrests have been made. ADG Agra Zone/Commissioner Aligarh/IG Aligarh range have been camping there since yesterday (Friday), an IG-level officer, DK Thakur, has reached there from Lucknow and camping since yesterday night.”
He added, “Five companies of PAC and 1 RAF company had reached there (Kasganj) yesterday (Friday) along with additional civil police officers/policemen from the zone. One more company of RAF has been provided today (Saturday).”
The principal secretary (home) also informed, “After the peaceful cremation in the morning, some miscreants have tried to disturb peace which has been strictly dealt with. Only sporadic attempts of arson in the outskirts took place today (Saturday).”
A government spokesperson said prohibitory orders still remained in effect, but did not say whether the curfew had been lifted.
A strong posse of RAF and PAC personnel have intensified vigil in the district, whose borders have been sealed to stop elements detrimental to peace from sneaking into the city.
“In all, 50 accused persons have been arrested. Efforts are on to arrest the rest of the accused,” the ADG said, adding that the figure was likely to go up.
Elaborating on the genesis of the clashes, the police said in a statement that a few people were riding motorcycles carrying the tricolours and were chanting ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.
As the procession reached minority community-dominated Baddunagar, “anti-social elements” pelted stones and opened fire. “In this (firing), Chandan was killed and Naushad was injured. Naushad was referred to Aligarh for treatment,” it said. Another man, identified as Akram, received head injuries.
The two were undergoing treatment at Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Aligarh. Naushad was out of danger and Akram was being operated upon, the hospital authorities said.
The motorcycle rally was taken out by VHP and ABVP volunteers as part of celebrations on the 69th Republic Day.
Meanwhile, the police on Saturday stopped firebrand leader Sadhvi Prachi in Aligarh and prevented her from visiting Kasganj.
She, however, said: “If the district administration really wanted, it would have not allowed the violence.”
Earlier on Saturday, Additional DG (Law and Order) Anand Kumar said, “Anti-social elements today (Saturday) tried to set on fire a small shop on the city’s outskirts… Some of them have been taken into custody, while others were chased away.”
“Our main job at this point is to ensure…that brotherhood among communities remain intact,” Kumar told reporters.
The police were trying to make people “understand communal bonhomie”, he said, adding that the situation was under control now. “Sufficient police personnel have been deployed.”
Superintendent of Police, Kasganj, Sunil Kumar Singh, said: “Anti-social elements had set two shoe shops on fire in Ghantaghar market, and fire brigade was pressed into action.
“Apart from this, one utensil shop was set afire and a bus was also damaged by anti-social elements, who set it on fire. Fire brigade was called in to douse the fires.”
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya described the violence as unfortunate, and said the people behind it would not go unpunished.
But Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sunil Singh ‘Sajan’ demanded more than just assurance from the state government.
“The Uttar Pradesh government must act tough on the anti-social elements, so that this acts as a deterrent for others.”
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Virendra Madan suggested the violence was connected to Lok Sabha polls, due next year.
“The state government must show seriousness and control the situation at the earliest… Is there any possible link of this violence with 2019 Lok Sabha elections for polarisation?”
Divisional commissioner of Aligarh, Subhash Chandra Sharma, said the violence erupted after the cremation of the boy, who died on Friday.
