Tension grips Meerut after objection to prayers on road

POLICE RESORTED TO LATHICHARGE WHEN ANGRY CROWD ATTEMPTED TO DISTURB THE PRAYER BEING HELD NEAR SHIV CHOWK AT CHIPI TANK AREA.

MEERUT: Tension gripped the city on Thursday when some activists claiming themselves to be members of a BJP outfit raised objection on prayers being offered on a public thoroughfare by members of a particular community. The police also used baton to disperse the agitating mob.

MEERUT: Timely intervention of senior officials averted a communal confrontation in Meerut on Thursday. It all started when some activists claiming themselves to be members of a BJP outfit raised an objection on prayers being offered on a public thoroughfare by members of a particular community.

Police resorted to lathicharge when angry crowd led by the organisational secretary of the outfit attempted to disturb the prayer being held near Shiv Chowk at Chipi Tank area.

The i ncident triggered communal tension in the area as those belonging to other community objected to their deliberate attempt of creating trouble during prayers. Hearing the news of lathicharge, BJP MP Rajendra Aggarwal, MLA Satyaprakash Aggarwal, Mayor Harikant, former MLA Amit Aggarwal alongwith supporters arrived at the spot.

Meanwhile, IG zone Bhavesh Kumar Singh and district magistrate Navdeep Rinwa rushed to the spot with heavy police force and the PAC.

In their bid to defuse the tension between the two communities, the officials invited some prominent persons from both communities and asked them to resolve the issue amicably.

Their meeting went on till early morning and finally it was decided that both sides will respect and honour religious feelings of each other in order to keep communal harmony and brotherhood intact.