A communal clash during a Durga idol immersion procession in Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh, resulted in the death of a 22-year-old man and left at least four others injured on Sunday. The deceased has been identified as Ram Gopal Mishra.
The violence erupted in Mahsi tehsil, under the jurisdiction of Hardi police station, when a group of miscreants reportedly pelted stones and fired gunshots at the procession, according to a report by The Hindu. Tensions escalated after objections were raised by some local Muslims to the playing of music near a mosque and a residential area during the procession.
A video circulating widely on social media allegedly shows Mishra removing a green flag from a building and replacing it with a saffron flag, amid chants of support from the crowd. The police, however, are still investigating the exact sequence of events leading to his death, as confirmed by Station House Officer Suresh Kumar Verma.
Following Mishra’s death, a large crowd gathered outside the district hospital, refusing to perform his last rites until those responsible for the violence were brought to justice. In retaliation, several shops and vehicles belonging to Muslims were reportedly set on fire.
Bahraich has remained tense since the incident, with reports of violence escalating. This incident follows a similar pattern of unrest in other BJP-ruled states, raising concerns about the breakdown of law and order and intelligence lapses in the region.
