A massive unrest has erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur after Hindu bodies, including Bajrang Dal, gathered near an old tomb in Abu Nagar, claiming that it was a temple and they should be allowed to offer prayers there. Security has been heightened in the area to maintain law and order.
"We had deployed a police force and made preparations. Some people had picked up stones and canes, but there were no weapons. Everyone has left the location. Action will be taken against all those people who took the law into their own hands. We have got information about it ( Hindu flags installed on the monument by protestors). There is no flag located there now," Fatehpur SP, Anoop Kumar Singh said while talking to the media.
Fatehpur District Magistrate Ravindra Singh said the situation was under control and people have dispersed from the site.
"We assured everyone that the law and order situation will not be allowed to be impacted. People have dispersed from here. The law and order situation is normal. Our primary concern is to maintain peace and the public has confidence in the police," he said.
Bajrang Dal adamant
Earlier, district Co-convenor of Bajrang Dal, Dharmendra Singh, said they would offer prayers at the site, claiming it to be a Hindu temple, and even the administration couldn’t stop them.
About temple-tomb row
The entire controversy revolves around the dispute between a Shiva temple and the tomb in the Rediya locality . Hindu organisations claim that the tomb is actually a Lord Shiva and Lord Krishna temple. According to these Hindu groups, there was originally a temple here, which was demolished.
The tomb of Nawab Abdul Samad, located in the Sadar Tehsil area, was earlier declared a temple by the BJP district president and this claim sparked the controversy. Hindu organisations have pointed to the lotus flower and trishool marks inside the tomb as evidence that it was a temple.
Meanwhile, a few days ago, a call was made to perform worship at the disputed site on August 11. Since early morning today, people have been gathering here, resulting in a tense situation. On the other hand, Muslim organisations have stated that the government was searching for temples inside mosques. (Reported by Umesh Chandra)
