Mathura: At least 21 people, including a Superintendent of Police and an SHO, have been killed and dozens injured in clashes during an operation to clear hundreds of acres of government land from the activists of a so-called religious group, ‘Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi’, in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who spoke to Yadav, expressed anguish over the loss of lives and assured all necessary help to the state government.
19 people have been killed apart from SP City Mukul Dwivedi and SHO, Farah, Santosh Yadav, Pradeep Bhatnagar, Commissioner, Agra Division, said adding that a magisterial probe has also been ordered.
The violence had erupted when police were trying to evict illegal occupants, believed to be of Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi, from Jawahar Bagh yesterday on the directions of the Allahabad High Court.
In Lucknow, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav ordered a probe by the divisional commissioner of Mathura, an official spokesperson said.
DGP Javed Ahmed and Principal Secretary (Home) Debashish Panda have rushed here.
The Union Home Minister said he has reviewed the situation in Mathura. “I have spoken to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pardesh and reviewed the situation in Mathura. I have assured him of all possible help from the Centre.
“I am anguished over the loss of lives in the incident in Mathura. May God give strength to the bereaved families,” Rajnath Singh said.
Police said some vehicles bearing Madhya Pradesh registration number have been found.
“The wrath of people against encroachers was such that when they were retreating, they were severely beaten by the public,” an official said.
The activists used not only hand grenades but also opened fire from automatic weapons after taking position on tree tops, DM Rajesh Kumar had said.
The area was filled with smoke following explosions from hand grenades and LPG cylinders and several huts caught fire, he said.
Are they not anti-national terrorists?
Over two years back, the activists of splinter group of Baba Jai Gurudeo, claiming themselves to be member of ‘Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi’, had occupied hundreds of acres of land of Jawahar Bagh on the pretext of ‘dharna’.
The Allahabad High Court, acting on a PIL, had recently ordered the authorities to get the land vacated.
According to police, members of this outfit and another smaller organisation, Swadheen Bharat Subhash Sena, had been staging demonstrations at Jawahar Bagh over the last two-and-a-half years.
Their demands include the cancellation of elections for President and Prime Minister, replacement of rupee with ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ currency, and sale of 60 litres of diesel and 40 litres of petrol at Re 1 each.
Among the other demands posted on their Facebook page are: “We demand all records relating to the ‘Ruler of the Nation’, law and order, and also the document of citizenship (which shows how we are citizens of the nation) to be made public.”
(Agencies)
