Rudraprayag: In Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, some villages have put up the sign boards ‘Non-Hindus, Rohingya Muslims prohibited’ to ban their entry in their villages. This has sparked a controversy and police have launched a probe into this matter.
The signboards erected at the entry points of the villages reads that no hawkers belonging to minority religion and Rohingya community can enter the villages. These sign boards put up in several villages of Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag have sparked the controversy. Signboards have been installed in villages like Sirsi, Rampur-Nyalsu, and others. Initially, these boards banned “non-Hindus,” but after police intervention, the wording was changed to “ban on outsiders,” according to villagers.
Posters have emerged after sexual assault in Chamoli last week
A massive outrage was seen after a molestation case with a minor girl in Chamoli district Nandanagar last week, in which the accused belonging to the minority community was nabbed by police from Bijnor. Following this case, posters have emerged, sparking protests from locals demanding action against a specific community. Despite the arrest of the accused, tensions have spread to Rudraprayag. Viral social media posts now warn against Muslim traders entering villages.
Police have launched an investigation
In response, the police have initiated an investigation into the matter. Uttarakhand police spokesperson Neelesh Anand Bharne confirmed this news that such posters had been put up in Rudraprayag. He mentioned that the police are making all efforts to calm down this matter engaging with locals. He emphasized that any attempts to disrupt communal harmony would face strict action under relevant legal provisions. The spokesperson also noted that, following orders from Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the police were thoroughly verifying outsiders. He assured that any additional complaints would be promptly investigated.
Posters are put up to prevent outsiders
In Rudraprayag district, a signboard in Sonprayag village warned that “non-Hindus and Rohingyas will face action if they enter the village.” A local villager explained that many residents leave for work, leaving women alone at home, which they believe increases the risk of incidents. He mentioned that the posters were intended to prevent outsiders from entering without verification or identification, citing past incidents of temple thefts.
Protest from minority outfits
Raising concern over this incident, the AIMIM’s state president, Nayyar Kazmi, met with Uttarakhand’s Director General of Police (DGP), demanding legal action against these villagers who put up such signboards to ban the entry of non-Muslim into the villages. Afterwards, the Uttarakhand DGP assured swift action against the accused.