Bareilly District Magistrate Raghvendra Vikram Singh has created a stir on social media with his take on Kasganj communal violence. On January 28, Singh posted a long message on his Facebook page that it has become a 'trend' to take a procession into a Muslim locality and raise anti-Pakistan slogans.
While some agreed with his remarks others were not so pleased with it.
His Facebook post read: “Ajab riwaz ban gaya hai. Muslim mohallo main julus le jao aur Pakistan murdabad ke nare lagao. Kyun bhai woh Pakistani hain kya? Yehi yahan Bareilly mein Khailam mein hua tha. Fir patharav hua, mukadme likhe gaye (A strange tradition has been formed. To take a procession into Muslim-dominated localities and raise 'death to Pakistan' slogans. Why, are they (Muslims) Pakistanis? The same thing had happened in Bareilly's Khailam. Then stones were pelted, FIRs lodged.”
He was referring to an incident during July last year, when some men participating in Kanwar Yartra insisted on taking their procession through Muslim-dominated Khailam village. Clashes broke out and 15 ITBP jawans and two dozen kanwariyas were injured at that time.
Although Singh did not mention Kasganj, the post was believed to be a take on the violence, which broke soon after a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ by right-wing groups reportedly created a scuffle in a Muslim-dominated locality on the Republic Day.
In another post on Facebook, Singh asked why slogans are never raised against 'bigger enemy' China.
He said: "Cheen to bada dushman hai, Tiranga lekar Cheen murdabad kyon nahin? (China is a bigger enemy to us. Why isn't the tricolour being waved and anti-China slogans shouted)?"
Talking to the Times of India, Singh said he was hurt and angry at what was happening "in the name of nationalism."
"Such fringe groups are coming up in every part of the state, taking the same ugly route to instigate people of the minority community by forcefully entering their locality in the name of nationalism. These people don't care about the fabric of our mixed culture and brotherhood," he said.
According to PTI, volunteers of organisations like the Vishva Hindu Parishad, Hindu Mahasabha and ABVP had taken out the rally - 'Tiranga Yatra' without permission on the Republic Day. After passing through the Kotwali area, they were about to pass through a Muslim-dominated area when some people objected to its passage.
This resulted in heated exchange of words and eventually escalated to firing in which one person lost his life while another was grievously injured, according to officials.
Under fire over the violence, the UP government went into damage control mode and shunted out Kasganj Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar Singh to "a less significant post."
Speaking to Hindustan Times over phone, Singh said: “It was a small incident, but see how big its implications were. The SP of Kasganj has been transferred and people are questioning the working of the district magistrate.” He added: “These incidents affect the ongoing developmental work.”
"The law and order situations that emerge in the state due to activities that take place without permission creates a lot of issues, also hinders development activities in the state," he told ANI.
Singh, who took charge as the DM of Bareilly in 2017, has also served as a commissioned officer in the Indian Army.
The situation in Kasganj is now said to be under control. Over 118 people have been arrested in connection with the violence following which security forces are maintaining strict vigil. The UP police said drone cameras have been deployed for aerial surveillance.
District authorities in Kasganj, said the situation was returning to normal even as more arrests were being made in connection with the violence.
