India: Ayodhya sadhus condemn Dadri lynching / police intelligence report says lynching planned to stoke unrest

The Times of India

Ayodhya sadhus condemn Dadri lynching

Arshad Afzal Khan,TNN | Oct 4, 2015, 01.33 AM IST

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AYODHYA: Sadhus in Ayodhya have forcefully condemned the brutal lynching of 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq by a strong mob that gathered in Bisada village reportedly after a loudspeaker announcement in Bada Mandir on Monday that said that Akhlaq and his family were storing and eating beef in their house.

Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, said "It is a crime against humanity and it is very sad. Such an incident should not happen anywhere in the country. Perpetrators of the crime must be punished."

Mahant Bhav Nath Das, a prominent Sadhu of Ayodhya and chief priest at the Hanuman Garhi temple, said, "We the Sadhu-Sants of Ayodhya stand in support of the Muslim community of the country. We want to ensure the Muslim brothers not to be scared of a handful of fascist forces. It is time now for the complete elimination of such communal forces."

Mahant Bindu Gadyacharya, the chief priest of Bara Sthan Mandir at Ayodhya, "When we heard about it, we arranged a special prayer in our temple for the deceased Mohammad Akhlaq. Those who have committed this barbarous act have not only defamed the tolerant and liberal Hindu religion, but also brought a bad name for the country in the rest of the world."

Raghunandan Das, a young Sadhu associated with Saryu Kunj Mandir, giving a strong reaction. He said, "It is not only a killing of a person, but a total collapse of the social values taught to us over time. Who can we blame for this? Is the government responsible, or the society, that is the question?"

Mahant Yugal Kishore Sharan Sahstri said, "To show solidarity towards the minority community, we will take out a 'Yatra' from Ayodhya to Dadri and also to give a message to communal forces that we are united and against all such violent acts."

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The Times of India

Lynching planned to stoke unrest: Intel

Purusharth Aradhak,TNN | Oct 5, 2015, 01.04 AM IST


GREATER NOIDA: A police intelligence report accessed by TOI suggests Bisada could have blown up in a bigger way than Muzaffarnagar as it is surrounded by Rajput villages, known as the Satha Chaurasi. Indicating a planned move to fan communal flames, the report also talks of plan to demolish a mosque in a nearby village.

The report also says prompt action by the administration, and intervention of villagers after the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq on September 28, had helped prevent the violence from spreading to nearby villages.

Bisada is in the middle of Satha Chaurasi. Adjacent to these Rajput villages are Dasna and Masuri, which has a large minority population. The report says efforts were made to fan communal flames after the murder of Akhlaq, with some "cow slaughter protesters" agitating near NTPC, Dadri the day after.

The report also mentions the presence of some "elements" in the that are misguiding local people in the name of religion. It cites protests that broke out against cow slaughter after Akhlaq's killing to illustrate its point.

Satha Chaurasi is a part of the Ghaziabad Lok Sabha constituency. The region includes parts of Ghaziabad, Hapur, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, Baghpat, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar. There are 60 villages where members of the Sisodia Rajput clan dominate and 84 villages where the Tomar Rajputs dominate. Bisada is a Rajput-dominated village.

The report says the lynching was reported to the police at 10.40 pm on Monday. Acting on the information, Jarcha police post in-charge Ranveer Singh and his team reached the scene at 10.50 pm. The mob was could have attacked the police had villagers not intervened, a police officer said.

By 11.10 pm, deputy superintendent of police Anurag Singh and superintendent of police Sanjay Singh arrived. Gautam Budh Nagar police chief Kiran S was also informed.

Kiran S reached Bisada around 1 am. The DM reached by 2.30 am. Both the DM and SSP held talks with villagers to ensure peace in the area village while another team led by Anurag Singh went after the suspects, the report says.