Now, Muslims announce sale of houses, shops
Members of Muslim community, residing in and around Babri Mandi area here, announced their intention to sell off their houses and shops after Hindus made the same declaration a day earlier on Saturday and submitted an affidavit to the in-charge DM, Awadhesh Tiwari.
Muslims of Sarai Kale Khan displayed ‘for sale’ boards outside their houses claiming that they were not feeling secure in the area. They alleged that police harassed them, labelling them as rioters. ‘For sale’ boards were displayed outside the houses of some of the accused of the recent communal incident as well.
Rashid Pahalwan and Wakil Khan, residents of the area told HT, “The walls of our houses are so high that leave aside stone pelting, we cannot even see the marketplace from our houses. Yet we have been made accused by the police. If we speak about the real condition of the bajaria (market), we’ll say that our women and children are living under the shadow of fear.”It may be recalled that the Hindus of Babri Mandi have en masse (about 60 families) announced their intention of leaving the locality, in view of rising incidents of eve teasing and assault by members of Muslim community. While the market has reopened, situation in then mandi is still tense and police deployment has been increased. So far, cops have arrested the prime accused of the eve teasing incident (that led to the communal flare-up), Nadim, and another accused. Warrants have been issued against two others.On Friday, Aligarh MP (BJP), Satish Gautam and other leaders of the party visited the locality to take stock of the situation. Secretary of Hindu Mahasabha, Puja Shakun visited the house of the victim and presented her a knife as a symbolic gesture.
On the same day, Aligarh MLA, Zafar Alam held discussions with several Muslim families and women of the community gheraoed the Kotwali police station, alleging “one-sided action by cops under pressure from BJP”.On the other hand, some members of the locality asserted that their area was peaceful. Najaf Haider Taziadar told HT, “The last time a dispute arose was during Dussehra, regarding the burning of Ravan.