Days after Azamgarh clash, SP MLA says BJP ‘escalated’ tension; party calls it ‘baseless’

The Azamgarh police on Monday arrested three more persons, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to 11, said a senior police officer.

The incident took place on June 3 after objections were raised when youths from a particular community were seen recording videos and taking photographs from their rooftops of a marriage procession in which women were dancing. A clash erupted between the two communities, during which stones were pelted and sticks were used to assault one another. Members of both communities were
injured, police said.

MLA Akhilesh claimed that while the clash had broken out over playing of music on loudspeakers, a case has been registered against members of only one community.

He alleged, “After the incident, BJP workers and office-bearers from other areas reached the village and escalated the situation by inciting members of a community…”

“On June 12, people put up posters declaring their houses were for sale after being instigated by the BJP,” he claimed.

Bamhour village falls under the Mubarakpur Assembly seat, with a major chunk of its residents engaged in agriculture.

“I visited the village twice after the incident and tried to convince the people. No one has sold their house or left the village,” claimed Akhilesh, adding that the posters have been removed. Akhilesh won the Assembly election from the Mubarakpur Assembly seat, under which Bamhour village falls.

A senior police officer also said all the posters have been removed and no one has left the village or sold their house.

Later in the day, BJP’s Azamgarh district president D K Singh denied all the allegations levelled by the MLA, terming these as “baseless”.

He added that the prime accused in the case had fled after the incident and allegedly threatened people through social media, which prompted some local residents to put up posters. They approached police, after which the accused were arrested and the matter has since been resolved, claimed Singh.

Police said some members of one of the groups involved in the June 3 clash suffered serious injuries and they, led by a local resident, Sandeep Kannojia, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, filed a complaint at the local police station.

The case was registered under several charges, including voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, attempt to murder, and assault or use of criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty. The SC/ST Act was also invoked.