Uttarkashi District Admin Imposes Section 144, No Permission for 'Mahapanchayat'

The Uttarakhand district saw communal tensions rise in the last few weeks.

Anti-Muslim posters during a protest against 'Love Jihad' in Uttarakhand's Barkot.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint) 

Section 144 has been imposed by the district administration in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi on Wednesday, 14 June, amid rising communal tensions.

Authorities also denied permission for a 'Mahapanchayat' that had been organised by the Purola Pradhan Sangathan, to be held in the town of Purola on Thursday, according to statements made by Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Rohilla and Director General of Police (DGP) Ashok Kumar.

The call for the Mahapanchayat had also been seconded by Hindu right-wing outfits Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal.

The lives of Muslim families in the Uttarakhand district has taken a dramatic turn in the last few weeks with several of them fleeing their homes in the wake of rallies being taken out against ‘love-jihadis'.

On 29 May, a major rally was taken out in Purola by right-wing bodies demanding that Muslims leave the town. Furthermore, several Muslim-owned shops were also allegedly vandalised by Hindutva mobs.

What Did the Courts Say?

After hearing a plea seeking the cancellation of the Mahapanchayat on Wednesday, the Supreme Court of India asked the petitioner to approach the Uttarakhand High Court first. The apex court bench also said that the petitioner should repose trust in the High Court.

Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand High Court has agreed to hear the plea on Thursday. The petition was mentioned in court by advocate Shahrukh Alam on behalf of an NGO called the Association for Protection of Civil Rights.

Alam claimed that certain organisations have given an ultimatum to a particular community to leave the area before the Mahapanchayat.