Kashif Ahmad Faraz | India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI–The victory of NDA led by BJP in Bihar elections resulted in a communal assault on Muslims in Jamua, a village in East Champaran district where a mosque was vandalized allegedly by supporters of BJP who were part of a victory procession.
The incident took place on Wednesday evening when the election results were announced. Four people are reported to suffered injuries.
According to reports reaching here, the mic of the mosque and its two gates were broken during the act of vandalism and several vehicles were also damaged in the attack.
Jamua is a small village under Dhaka Police station which comes under East Champaran District. Pawan Jaiswal from BJP won the assembly poll and his supporters were taking out a victory procession. Faisal Rahman from RJD had won this seat in 2015 election.
Speaking to India Tomorrow, SHO of Dhaka Police Station Abhay Kumar confirmed the incident and said the violence occurred on Wednesday evening when BJP supporters in the area took out a victory procession. They were sloganeering with mic and when their procession reached near the Masjid, a shopkeeper tried to stop them but they did not stop which escalated in altercation and BJP supporters began pelting stones at the mosque. An FIR has been filed against 500 persons, including 31 named persons. Police have arrested two accused persons identified as Vinod and Pawan.
He further said that communalism is lethal for the society and it benefits nothing but polarize the communities.
Police have registered the FIR under IPC sections 145 (joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded to disperse), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and 307 (attempt to murder).
Speaking to India Tomorrow, Social Activist Tarique Anwar Champarani, said that the conflict between Hindu and Muslims is not a new thing in East Champaran’s Dhaka. Highlighting the reason of communal dispute, he said, “Whenever a community become economically empowered, it seeks participation in political power, hence this conflict is about the insecurity of power struggle between two communities”.
