Communal flare-up spreads to Haridwar

HARIDWAR: The communal tension that affected the Raiwala-Rishikesh belt for past three days spread to Haridwar on Friday night, as a group of unidentified people ransacked shops of some Muslim traders at Kankhal market.

Armed with hockey sticks, baseball and cricket bats, a group of masked people on twowheelers had on Friday night raised slogans and vandalised a dozen- odd properties of Muslim shopkeepers and vendors, police said.

Some locals who tried to intervene had also come under attack.

A case was registered against 15 unidentified people at the Kankhal police station, and police have identified three people from CCTV footage, superintendent of police Mamta Vohra said.

The district administration took no chance and deployed a large number of police and provincial armed constabulary personnel at Kankhal and other sensitive pockets in Haridwar on Saturday.

“The situation is now under control after the police was deployed. We appreciate the harmony among the local people as the situation didn’t aggravate despite the incident,” circle officer, Kankha, JP Juyal said.

“The bonhomie that exists between the two communities in Haridwar is an example for all. That normalcy has returned in Kankhal market (despite the violence) proves this aspect,” Kankhal resident and former municipal chairperson Pradeep Chaudhary said.