A group leading a victory procession for a BJP MLA in Jamua village of East Champaran allegedly vandalised a mosque and pelted stones after local residents objected to raising slogans during their evening prayers, leaving four people injured.
The BJP workers took out procession soon after the results were announced in favour of Pawan Jaiswal who won the Dhaka seat defeating RJD’s Faisal Rahman, reported The Indian Express.
Abhay Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO) said that Jaiswal was not a part of the procession and there were around 20 Muslim families in the area where the mosque was located. ‘A heated exchange broke out when the procession was asked not to raise slogans on loudspeakers during maghrib time. A scuffle took place and people in the procession who were large in number started pelting stones,’ Kumar said.
‘The procession of 500 people pelted stones and raised slogans like Jai Shri Ram and abused the community. They broke the mosque gate, smashed windows, and properties inside,’ alleged Mazhar Alam, a villager.
According to the police, around 31 people have been booked and two have been arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The situation was stabilized later in the day by deploying additional forces.
