Minor skirmish takes communal colour in old Delhi’s Hauz Qazi, situation tense; Bajrang Dal activist detained

A minor tussle related to the parking of a bike took communal colour late on Sunday night at Lal Kuan bazar under Hauz Qazi police station.

Tension gripped the locality on Monday as groups from both the communities gathered at different places.

One community accused the other of ransacking a small mandir while the latter claimed that the clash erupted after some people from the other community thrashed a boy and fractured his hand.

The police have put up barricades at various places and senior police officials are mediating to defuse the situation.

Imams of the local masjids at Lal Kuan and elders have appealed to youths on Masjid loudspeaker to disperse and maintain peace. However, the mischief mongers on both sides are trying to incite youth.

Every time the crowds recede, someone raises a religious slogan and the efforts to defuse the situation are brought to a nought.

DCP MS Randhawa told NH that the police have been trying to contain the situation since the last night itself. He said police arrangements have been put in place to ensure that no further clash takes place.

"We are trying our best to control the situation. That's all I have to right now," he said.

Local MLA and Delhi government minister Imran Hussain too is trying to persuade the people in the area to maintain peace.

Some outsiders reportedly incited people in the area and raised provocative slogans. As per the latest developments the local crowd has dispersed now.

CRPF personnel and Delhi Police have been deployed in the area. Some people in the area are reportedly organising a Hanuman Chalisa chanting in front of the temple in the evening. Talks between the police and the local community have failed. Meanwhile the Delhi Police have arranged for new statues for the temple.

A person from the locality who tried to placate the crowd was chased away by the outsiders. Fearing rising tension in the coming days, people have started stocking up on goods of daily use.

The police have appealed to the people to restore normalcy in the locality.

Speaking with NH, Bajrang Dal activist Sunita Singh alleged that the police was not taking any action against the people of the other community who, she said, were the aggressors.

She also asked the locals living near the mandir, located inside a narrow lane, to not reinstall the idols "like that only".

"The whole Bajrang Dal organisation is with you. How could they attack our gods and we let it go," she told the local families.

"What would have happened if 'their' place of worship had been desecrated or their sisters and mothers (behen-beti) were attacked like ours were," she said.

Singh said that she had come from Mayur Vihar along with two of her women colleagues and a few men after hearing of the incident.

A local gentleman named Bittu, who has some influence in both the communities, tried to reason with the instigators was told to shut up and was pushed around by the activists.

The Bajrang Dal activists have been detained by the police and they are being taken away in police cars.

Former MLA of the area n former minister in Sheila Dikshit's cabinet Haroon Yusuf condemned the communal tension in the area and held local MLA for all this. He said what is happening in Lal Kuan area is against the true culture of the area as both the communities have lived together for long time.

He said during his tenure of Twenty years he ensured that anti social elements are not encouraged but now it is just the opposite. He said he is in touch with police officials n local people of both communities to bring down the temperature. He says the situation is volatile n police is keeping an eye on the whole situation.