Everything You Need to Know About the Mindless Violence in Mathura
A clash between Mathura police and encroachers during a land eviction drive has resulted in 24 casualties.
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- Ram Vriksha Yadav, the alleged mastermind behind the assault, has been declared dead by UP Police.
- Two cops and 22 others killed in the violence.
- Bodies of 22 civilians in Mathura civil hospital.
- 11 of these bodies severely burnt.
- Huge cache of arms including rifles, grenades and swords recovered from the site.
- Ex-gratia compensation of Rs 20 lakh each announced for the families of the dead policemen.
- The land had been occupied for the last two years by the followers of a self-proclaimed godman.
On Thursday night, a violent clash between the police and a large group of ‘activists’ killed 24 people and wounded over 40 people in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
Casualties included two senior police officers, Superintendent of Police Mukul Dwivedi and SHO Santosh Kumar.
According to Inspector General (Law and Order) HR Sharma, around 3,000 activists, believed to be of Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi (ABVVKS), interrupted the drive by pelting stones and opening fire on the police. The police opened fire in retaliation.
How Did the Conflict Start?
The disputed land in Jawahar Nagar falls under the Horticultural Department of the Uttar Pradesh government. The Allahabad High Court, acting on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), had recently directed the authorities to vacate the land. However, after attempts by its officials to evict the people failed, the Mathura district administration issued a notice to the protesters asking them to vacate the land in April.
What Is ABVVKS’ Role in the Conflict?
The conflict has its origins in a dispute between a self-proclaimed spiritual guru, Jai Gurudev – whose estimated worth is over Rs 12,000 crore – supporters, the authorities, and the Mathura administration.
Over two years ago, activists of a splinter group of Baba Jai Gurudeo, claiming themselves to be members of ‘Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi’, had occupied hundreds of acres of land of Jawahar Bagh under the pretext of ‘dharna’.
Their demands included cancelling the elections for President and Prime Minister of India, replacing existing currency with ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ currency, and selling diesel at the rate of 60 litres for one rupee and petrol at the rate of 40 litres for one rupee.
However, ABVVKS is not the only outfit involved in the confrontation. Swadheen Bharat Subhash Sena is another smaller organisation whose members were allegedly also part of the tragedy.
Who Was Leading the ABVVKS Activists?
The activists group was led by Ram Vriksha Yadav. Yadav, along with the security officer of the group Chandan Gaur, managed to flee with thousands of their supporters, District Magistrate (DM) Rajesh Kumar said.
However, on 4 June, Ram Vriksha Yadav was declared dead allegedly due to injuries in the confrontation with the police. His body was identified by associates, while his family was intimated for final confirmation, declared Javed Ahmad, Director General of Police (DGP), Uttar Pradesh.
Why Did the Police Open Fire?
IG (Law and Order) Sharma said around 3,000 encroachers pelted stones and later opened fire at the police team as they reached the spot. In retaliation, the police had to fire after using batons and tear gas at them, he said.
The activists used not only hand grenades, but also opened fire from automatic weapons after taking position at tree tops, he said. The area was filled with smoke due to blast of hand grenades and LPG cylinders, following which several huts caught fire, DM Kumar said.
(With agency inputs.)
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