VHP, Bajrang Dal Fire Guns in Air in Agra & Ghaziabad on Dussehra

The men raised slogans of “Mandir wahin banayenge”.

The people can be heard chanting “Vande Mataram”.

(Photo: ANI)

After Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad members took to Agra’s streets on Dussehra to shoot blanks in the air, they also came out to do the same in Ghaziabad at the Dasna Devi temple in a “show of strength”, The Times of India reported.

Police registered a case against 50 unknown persons for reportedly filing 75 shots.

Mahant Yeti Narasimha Saraswati, the chief priest of the temple, said that video was shot on Saturday and it was a practice that had been going on for the last 12 years on Dussehra.

The practice of firing from licensed firearms by devotees of Dasna Devi temple after ‘shastra pujan’ has been going on for 12 years and we have never had problems in the past. This year is the first time a case has been registered against devotees...This is an attempt to interfere with a religious practice and I condemn it.

Satyender Prakash Singh, SHO of Masuri police station, said:

An FIR under section 30 of the Arms Act has been registered against unknown persons. We are now verifying the authenticity of the video, which shows about 50 odd people firing shots in the air. As per the video, more than 75 rounds were fired between 11am and late evening. After ascertaining their identities, action will be initiated against them.

The temple is located in a minority-dominated area and the priests are known to make inflammatory statements.

A resident of the area who lives near Bilal Masjid questioned the intent of the firing, as Indian Express reported.

This area has seen communal violence in the past, and it is very sensitive. This kind of show of strength, with several rounds of bullets being fired, is aimed at increasing communal tension here.

VHP and Bajrang Dal members were also caught on camera allegedly brandishing firearms and engaging in celebratory firing during Dussehra celebrations in Agra on 30 September.

The men can be seen firing shots into the air and raising slogans of “Mandir wahin banayenge” and chanting “Vande Mataram".

The Agra Police registered a case against 60 persons under the Arms Act on the same day, as Hindustan Times reported.

Twenty nine of the 60 people are known while the rest are being identified from the video.

Sanjeev Tomar, Officer In-Charge, Rakabganj Police

The police stated that licenses of those people will be cancelled who are found in violation of the law.

The matter has come to our notice and the way firing has been done in open at venue so near to tourist place of Agra Fort makes the matter serious and calls for action. Those responsible for making inflammatory religious remarks and firing in open would be identified and would be booked in a case being registered.

Kunwar Anupam Singh, SP, Agra