Right-wing activists stage protest against mosque in Jabalpur, clash with police
Bhopal: A scuffle broke out between the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal members and police personnel when the right-wing activists were protesting against a mosque in Jabalpur on Thursday.
A large number of right-wing members assembled at the Madhai area of Jabalpur’s Ranjhi locality alleging the mosque was built “illegally” on land allotted for a temple.
Reports suggested that the protesters allegedly marched to demolish the mosque, however, police swung into action and put up barricades to stop them. The road connecting the mosque was closed and the area surrounding was cornered off by the police.
The protesters, however, resisted police barricades and tried to enter prohibited areas, which resulted in heated arguments and even thrashing between police and activists. A video surfaced on social media also suggested the same.
However, prompt action from the Jabalpur district administration and police managed to control the situation without any untoward incident. Heavy security has been deployed to maintain the peaceful situation in the city.
“Forces from several police stations were deployed, and access to the mosque was sealed off. The situation was brought under control after prompt police action. Anyone trying to disrupt peace in the city will be punished,” a senior police official said.
Initially, the district administration and police were on alert as the protest was announced two days back by VHP leaders. Earlier, the activists had presented documents to the district administration, raising questions about the mosque’s construction.
A discussion on the issue has been going on for the past few months and the administration has assured of a fresh investigation into the mosque’s construction and a review of the documents.
The Hindu groups were upset as they alleged that the mosque was built on land belonging to the Gayatri Bal Mandir.
The VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders warned that if the administration does not take action to demolish the mosque soon, they will take matters into their own hands.