4 held for hoisting saffron flags by mosque during Ram Navami procession

Four men have been arrested for disturbing peace outside Jamal Masjid in Mathura during a Ram Navami procession, police said.

The four were accused of hoisting saffron flags atop shops by a mosque here during a Ram Navami procession Thursday.

The incident happened when the procession, being carried out by the Ram Janma Mahotsav Samiti from the Ram temple located in the Ghiyamandi area, reached the Chowk Bazar intersection.

The four accused, who were riding a van, climbed on the roofs of shops outside the mosque and hoisted saffron flags there, police said. A video of the entire incident has been widely circulated on social media.

The incident has stoked communal tensions among people of Hindu and Muslim communities, police said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shailesh Kumar Pandey said heavy police deployment was made on the spot immediately after the incident.

The four were identified as Kavya, Honey, Rajesh, and Deepak on the basis of the video and arrested, Pandey said.

"The accused were arrested on Friday and sent to judicial custody for disturbing peace," said the officer.