In an outburst of violence, Kanpur saw a tense Friday at Becongunj area, less than 100 kms away from Kanpur Dehat, where Prime Minister Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had gathered for an event.
Thirty-six people have been arrested and three FIRs filed – in which 40 persons have been named and 1,000 others listed as unknown accused on charges of rioting and attempt to murder.
According to reports, the violence broke out and culminated in heavy stone-pelting between two communities in Becongunj area near Yatimkhana after the members of the minority community, during a protest against the alleged blasphemous statement made by BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, started forcing shops of the locality to close down. As members of the majority community protested against the forcible closure, it led to clashes between the two communities followed by heavy stone-pelting.
During the protests, many vehicles parked on the roadside were vandalized and the protestors resorted to multiple rounds of firing.
“We’ve briefed personnel to be alert at their locations. We’re also doing a route march and patrolling to build confidence among the public. Situation is under control and traffic is functioning regularly. There are no issues,” stated Kanpur CP Vijay Singh Meena.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath met district police chiefs via video conference late Friday night and directed Kanpur officers to identify those responsible and take strict action. He also asked for increased police deployment in affected areas and regular patrols in all sensitive areas of Kanpur district.
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