Banda: Members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal resorted to vandalism near an under-construction mosque in Balkhandi Naka of Uttar Pradesh's Banda district, on Wednesday. The mob went on a rampage on the concrete mixer unit and the construction materials besides terrorising the other road users, while police remained as mute spectators.
The rightwing activists also staged a demonstration in front of the mosque charging illegalities in the construction work. The protesters who were sloganeering against the mosque construction blocked the traffic by parking their bikes in the middle of the road. According to the protesters, the construction of second floor of the mosque was illegal.
On information, police rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. But instead of controlling the unruly mob, the policemen remained a silent spectator to the acts of the far right group. Protesters resorted to vandalism for about 30 min near the mosque in full public view.
Bajrang Dal and VHP workers were seen hitting at the concrete mixer plant in the construction site with bricks. Some of them were carrying wooden logs also to hit the drums kept there as well as construction equipment. The party came riding on motorcycles and left their bikes in the middle of the road before they resorted to vandalism. Chaotic situation prevailed in the locality. Commuters and motorists had to face a harrowing time due to the traffic disruption and as well as the rampage that was underway near the mosque.
VHP district president Chandramohan Bedi charged that the approval from the government was for renovation of the mosque whereas full scale construction was underway. The administration had given the nod for the renovation of the mosque. But here the construction work was going on unabated. We were successful in halting the construction work, the VHP leader said.
According to Banda police, the mosque was being renovated and the two groups protested against it. "The facelift of the mosque located near Balkhandi Naka was going on. Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal workers visited the spot and lodged their protest. No damage was done to the under-construction mosque," the police official said.
