In what could be described as a silent protest against a recent incident of stone pelting on a Ganesh Pandal, people in Bhilwara’s Sanganer town in Rajasthan marched out of their villages after tying black ribbons to their doors. They gathered in a nearby place called Kali Mangri, a Dev Sthan two km from the town. It needs to be mentioned here that a few youths reportedly pelted stones at a Ganesh Pandal two days ago. To express their anger peacefully, people of the Hindu community left their villages as a mark of protest on the day Muslims observed Barawafat.
Hence, the Barawafat procession was removed amid closed markets and silence in Sanganer. The administration did not permit the procession to be removed from where the stone pelting incident had occurred, as there was tension in the area. On Sunday night, people belonging to the Hindu community surrounded the police station, demanding quick action on the matter. As no agreement was reached till late on Sunday night, the Hindu community decided they would not witness the Barawafat procession. So they chose to visit the Kali Mangri Dev Sthan on Monday morning, where they engaged in singing hymns and organized a community feast there.
Former councillor Raju Jangid said, “People of the entire Hindu community have come to Kali Mangri today as a mark of protest, and black cloths have been put up outside the houses as a mark of protest. All the town’s women, children, and senior citizens have become a part of this protest.”
“The locals have also demanded that a bulldozer should be run on the houses of the accused so that we get justice,” said Shyam Sundar Pareek, a local from Bhilwara. He said, “We don’t want to harm anyone. However, we want justice. We never go to their sites, so why do they visit our pooja sites?”
Rajan Dhushyant, SP, Bhilwara, said, “The situation is under control in the district. The procession culminated peacefully, and villagers who protested returned to their homes. We have already arrested three accused in the incident of stone pelting, and further investigations are on.”
–IANS
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