AGRA: A large police contingent was camping by the road leading to Aligarh’s Noorpur village on Sunday to deter any attempt to disturb law and order in the wake of VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi’s announcement to perform a ‘havan’ at a mosque there which was at the centre of a row involving people of two different faiths.
Although the VHP leader didn’t turn up in spite of her announcement to visit the village till late evening, several activists of saffron outfits reached near the village and confronted the policemen who didn’t allow them to enter.
The row began on May 26 when a wedding procession of a Dalit family was allegedly asked to stop the music for a while near a mosque where people were offering prayers.
Some people in the wedding procession claimed that they were attacked by the people of the minority community.
Later, local police intervened and booked 11 people.
A few days later, “house for sale” signs came up on the facades of some houses belonging to Dalit families.
Alleged attempts were made to whip up communal passions too.
A local AIMIM leader gave a controversial statement and BJP MP Satish Gautam visited the village along with local MLAs assuring the Dalit community a “secure atmosphere”.
And on Sunday morning, scores of saffron activists tried to enter Noorpur.
“We are not being allowed to enter the village,” said Karni Sena president Vikas Chauhan.
A local resident of Noorpur village, Haji Dalveer Khan, said that an unnecessary controversy is being stirred by political parties.
District magistrate CB Singh and SSP Kalanidhi Naithani were also in the village.
Talking to media persons, Singh said, “A peace committee has been formed and five accused have been arrested so far.
The situation is under control.”