Five people were killed and 14 critically injured in violent clashes that broke out in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani on February after the demolition of a madrasa and masjid as part of a district anti-encroachment drive.
The district administration has imposed a curfew in the district to ensure law and order is maintained. It has also issued shoot on sight orders, suspended internet services, and asked schools in the area to remain shut until further instructions.
District Magistrate Vandana Singh stressed that the violence should not be termed as “communal”, as it was a “pre-planned and unprovoked act” carried out by anti-social elements. A local religious leader, however, alleged that there was provocation by the police, adding that as the community had gone to court against the anti-encroachment notice, the demolition should not have been carried out.
