Now, Kanwariyas ransack liquor shops, beat up transgenders
The incident occurred on Monday when a group of Kanwariyas attacked an open model shop (a term used for liquor stores) in Sahibabad, breaking glasses and damaging the counter
A group of Kanwariyas allegedly targeted and vandalised liquor shops that were open for business in Sahibabad late Monday evening and fled before the police could intervene, said senior police officers on Tuesday.
This is the fourth such incident in six days when pilgrims returning from Haridwar with Ganga water have resorted to violence in Ghaziabad district in full of view of the police, who have so far failed to act against the culprits, mostly for fear of a backlash and more violence by the pilgrims.
The latest incident occurred around 7.45pm on Monday when a group of Kanwariyas attacked an open model shop (a term used for liquor stores) in Sahibabad, breaking glasses and damaging the counter.
“These Kanwariyas wanted to close it down and so they vandalised the shop. They were angry that liquor shops were open during the pilgrimage days and was trying to shut them. We are trying to identify them with the help of CCTV footage and take legal action. They also proceeded to attack another liquor shop near Raj Bagh Metro station but could not succeed. The suspects fled towards Delhi soon after,” said Rajneesh Kumar Upadhyaya, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Sahibabad circle.
A salesman at the model shop said there were about 15-20 Kanwariyas and two of them were women.
“They initially pelted stones at our shop, damaged glasses and also damaged several bottles stocked inside. They tore apart the curtain being used to mask the shop from Kanwariyas’ sight as directed by district officials. The pilgrims thmeselves seemed to be in inebriated state,” said Sandeep Kumar, the salesman.
“They also manhandled people sitting in the canteen of a countrymade liquor shop near ours,” he added.
District excise officer Sanjay Singh said the district has about 536 liquor shops while 186 of these have been masked with curtain along the Kanwar Yatra routes.
“The liquor shops have put up curtains so that they are not visible to Kanwariyas passing by the road. Police will take action against the erring Kanwariyas,” he added.
Another group of Kanwariyas late Monday night thrashed two transgenders near Ghookhna on the Delhi Meerut Road where a group of pilgrims were dancing to musical songs.
“Transgenders also started dancing with them. That did not go down well with Kanwariyas. They alleged that the transgenders were there to steal and started thrashing them using hockey sticks and baseball bats. A police team saved the transgenders in the nick of time. Otherwise, the two could have suffered major injuries,” said Ravi Kumar Singh, assistant commissioner of police (city 2).
The Kanwar pilgrimage began on July 22, and five incidents of violence, allegedly involving pilgrims, have taken place in the last six days.
On July 25, several of them allegedly beat up a contractual worker at Muradnagar canal area for urging them not to sit on a fence that he was erecting.
On July 27, dozens of angry Kanwariyas beat up a Honda City car driver and later ransacked his car in Muradnagar after the car mistakenly entered the lane reserved for Kanwariyas from Modinagar and drove till Muradnagar where the incident occurred. Police booked the driver.
On July 29, Kanwariyas damaged and overturned a Bolero SUV that carried a ‘police’ sticker on the Delhi Meerut Road near Duhai. That vehicle too entered the lanes reserved for Kanwariyas and brushed past one of them. The driver was booked.
Yet, in none of these cases, no FIR nor action was taken against the errant Kanwariyas so far.
Police said if they act against the pilgrims, Kanwariyas across the western UP may resort to protests or resort to vandalism.
“We have received orders from senior officers and legal action will be initiated soon against the erring Kanwariyas,” said an ACP ranked officer, asking not to be named.