Officials announced today, Friday, that two people were killed and more than 80 others injured in violent protests in the town of Haldwani in northern India following a demolition campaign launched by the government against what it describes as illegal encroachments. The violence erupted yesterday, Thursday, when officials from the state of Uttarakhand moved to demolish a property that an official stated is not registered as an Islamic school or a mosque, despite some locals considering it a place of worship.
Prahlad Narayan Meena, a senior police official, confirmed that two people died and three others were seriously injured. More than 80 people were injured due to stone-throwing, including some police officers and journalists. Vandana Kazi, the district magistrate of Nainital, where Haldwani is located, stated at a press conference that the demolition campaign and its aftermath "are not collective and should not be viewed as such."
The official added that the protests relate to the government's attempt to demolish "a property that is not registered as a religious site and has not been recognized under any name. Some consider it an Islamic school." Sumit Hridyesh, a member of the opposition Congress party representing Haldwani, claimed that the violence was due to "hasty actions" taken by the administration and said that local residents, including Muslim clerics, should have been consulted before the campaign began.
Meanwhile, Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, warned that the government would take "strict action against rioters and hooligans." He added in a statement, "Clear instructions have been issued to the police to deal firmly with disruptive elements by identifying everyone involved in starting the fires and throwing stones. No criminal who causes instability and peace will be tolerated." A curfew has been imposed in Haldwani for the second day.
