In Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, tensions escalated as police allegedly assaulted and lathi-charged members of the Muslim community, including women, in Mudhapande. The confrontation arose when individuals from the Muslim community raised objections to construction activities at a religious shrine belonging to the Hindu community. The group started pelting stones after a disagreement about construction escalated into a big fight, according to the police.
Hindu Devotees had long sought to enhance the dilapidated boundary wall surrounding the Mata Chamunda Devi temple in Raunda. On November 25, 2023, as construction efforts were underway, members from the Muslim community arrived to express their protest. Police intervened, bringing an immediate halt to the construction work.
Resuming construction on the temple’s boundary wall on December 19, some Muslims from the area gathered at the site, opposing the ongoing work. The protest took a volatile turn. In response to the opposition, a declaration was made to initiate construction at their religious site if work on the temple’s boundary wall was not stopped. The situation escalated, prompting the intervention of police at the scene.
The police resorted to using force, leading to a beating of the protestors. An FIR has been officially lodged against a total of 34 individuals involved in the incident, following a complaint filed by the outpost in-charge Sub-Inspector Surendra Kumar.
Representing the Muslim faction, a woman lawyer identified as Zaibunnisha acknowledged the existence of the temple but contended that the Hindu side is currently expanding it. Zaibunnisha said that the building of the temple had been completed.
