Elders defuse tension in Alipur after ‘flag’ march
NEWDELHI: Around the same time when violence broke out in Uttar Pradesh’s Kasganj on Republic Day on Friday, a group of motorcycle-borne men allegedly entered local mosques in outer Delhi’s Alipur, waved the Indian Tricolour and saffron flags and raised slogans.
The incident was recorded on mobile phones and shared on social media.
Ever since the incident, elders from the Hindu and Muslim communities in these villages have been “working together” to ensure the events do not lead to violence. On Sunday, a group of Muslims visited the Alipur police station, submitted a written complaint and CDS of the videos.
Senior police officers confirmed the incident and the authenticity of the videos, but refused to share details. A police officer, on condition of anonymity, said that the written complaint has not been converted into a first information report (FIR) yet. “We are trying to identify the suspects. It is not yet clear if they belong to any of these villages. Meanwhile, the villagers are handling the matter responsibly,” said the officer.
One of the videos shows Masjid Adde Wali on the outskirts of Alipur village. There was no clarity on the other mosque even as some locals said it was of the Majra village, a few kilometers from Alipur.
Sharjil Ahmed, treasurer of Masjid Adde Wali, alleged that the motorcyclists, around 25-30 of them, had entered mosques in Alipur, Bakhtawarpur, Palla, Majra, Hamidpur, Akbarpur and Mukhmelpur.
At Masjid Adde Wali, the miscreants were heard shouting, “Dilli Shehar mein rehna hoga toh Vande Mataram Kehna Hoga (If you want to stay in Delhi City, you will have to chant Vande Mataram)”. A few men were seen waving the Tricolour and the saffron flags from atop the mosque.
“We were only three-four when the men barged in. They were shouting slogans. We just stood and watched,” said Jahid Ali, an eyewitness.