A VIDEO of youths waving saffron flags from the roofs of shops near the Jama Masjid during a Ram Navami procession in Mathura district surfaced on Thursday, raising tension in the area.
Police said they are in the process of identifying the people. The annual Ram Navami procession was halted and police said the situation was brought under control and kept peaceful after talks with “respected people on both sides.”
speaking to the indian express on Thursday, Mathura SSP Shailesh Pandey said: “The incident occurred near the Jama Masjid in the Chowk area, which is within the confines of the Kotwali Police Station. We have some names of the defendants and we are verifying the details. More actions are taking place. The situation is peaceful in the district.”
In an earlier statement, Pandey said: “According to tradition, on the occasion of Ram Navami, the Shobha Yatra which is brought out peacefully concluded after completing its pre-arranged route. There were no riots, but a video went viral allegedly showing a young man waving a flag atop a tent near the mosque. We ask people not to spread rumors. The police force was deployed during the procession and the young man was removed from the scene. There was no mismanagement.”
He added: “Leaders of all faiths were spoken to. All the senior officers were in the procession so nothing happened. As for the objection that the boy should not have waved the flag in the mosque, he is being investigated. Whoever is found guilty will face the necessary actions.
Asked if there was tension when the procession stopped for 30 minutes, Pandey said: “There was no tension. Some people gathered there after this started spreading on social media. We talked to respectable people on both sides.”
Asked if the young man had been identified, he said: “The person who was in the store will be identified. He too has been identified. Necessary measures will be taken against him.”
“I ask everyone not to spread rumors. Mathura has been an example of Ganga Jamuni etiquette and all the festivals have been celebrated in peace.”
He also said that police are keeping an eye on “people who spread misinformation on social media.”