India News

Kasganj riot: Misleading Reporting Fans Tension – Was it Motivated?

Published

8 years ago

January 30, 2018

Kasganj riot: Misleading Reporting Fans Tension - Was it Motivated?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]~By Rajesh Sinha

“Violence started after Muslims objected to the ‘Tiranga Yatra’ by ABVP and VHP activists”, goes the common refrain.

How about this: “Violence started after a bike rally by ABVP and VHP activists disrupted Republic Day celebrations”?

Both are partly true, and misleading. As often happens in instances of sectarian violence, there is much distortion of facts.

In the ‘controversies’ twisting facts about the riots in Kasganj, the latest is the Facebook post by Bareilly district magistrate Raghavendra Vikram Singh, saying it has become a trend to raise anti-Pakistan slogans in Muslim dominated areas.

Singh deleted the post after his post created a stir on social media, with some supporting him and others against him.

The post itself was very clear: “Ajab rivaz ban gaya hai. Muslim mohallo me jabardasti julus le jao aur Pakistan murdabad ke nare lagao. Kyon bhai, ve Pakistani hain kya? Yehi yahan Bareilly mein Khailam mein hua tha. Fir patharav hua, mukadme likhe gaye… (A strange trend has started of late. Take out processions through Muslim-dominated localities and raise anti-Pakistan slogans. Why? Are these people Pakistani? The same thing had happened in Khailam village of Bareilly. Then stones were pelted, FIRs lodged),” a Times of India report quoted from Singh’s Facebook post.

In another post on Facebook, Singh asked why slogans are never raised against ‘bigger enemy’ China. He said: “Cheen to bada dushman hai, Tiranga lekar Cheen murdabad kyon nahin? (China is a bigger enemy to us. Why isn’t the tricolour being waved and anti-China slogans shouted)?”

Talking to the Times of India, Singh said he was hurt and angry at what was happening “in the name of nationalism.”

“Such fringe groups are coming up in every part of the state, taking the same ugly route to instigate people of the minority community by forcefully entering their locality in the name of nationalism. These people don’t care about the fabric of our mixed culture and brotherhood,” he said.

He was right. Such slogans are meant to annoy Muslims by implying they are Pakistan supporters. As one senior journalist commented some time ago, “When ‘they’ say Pakistanis should be taught a lesson, they keep looking towards Muslims.” The implication is clear. It is bound to irritate and inflame passions.

Attempts to create tension where there was no reason to was evident even in instigating violence on Republic Day. Unfortunately, the dominant version is wrong in saying that it started when a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ taken out by RSS wings of ABVP and VHP was passing through a Muslim dominated locality and the people there objected to its passage.

This is patently false. Most news reports ignored or downplayed the fact that Muslims were celebrating the Republic Day and were hoisting the national flag in the not-so-wide lane when the ABVP-VHP group taking out the so-called ‘Tiranga Yatra’ on bikes came with saffron flags and demanded that they be allowed to pass.

Instead of letting the locals to go ahead with their Republic Day program and hoist the national flag, they demanded that the Muslims should also hoist the saffron flag and join in shouting ‘Vande Mataram’. They also started shouting slogans against Pakistan.

The celebration was disrupted and the locals objected to this unwarranted interference with their program. The dispute soon deteriorated into violence. In the clash, some shots were fired. A Hindu boy and a Muslim sustained bullet injuries. The Hindu, Chandan Gupta, died later. The Muslim, Noushad, had been shot in the leg and he lived.

In the violence and arson that followed, Mohd Akram was also injured when a mob dragged him out of his Maruti car and tried to gouge out his eye when he was trying to reach a hospital with his pregnant wife. He lost an eye and somehow managed to take his wife to the hospitalwhere she delivered a baby girl.

Subsequent reports spoke only about the Hindu boy getting shot and not about any firing by the Hindus. To add to this, a rumour was spread about another Hindu young man, Rahul Upadhyay being killed in the riots.

The UP Police refuted this and later Rahul himself spoke out to deny the rumours. “One of my friends informed me of rumours on social media about me getting killed during Kasganj clashes. But I was not present in Kasganj at the time when the riots took place. I had gone to my village. I am absolutely fine,” Rahul said, according to a media report.

A day after the clashes happened on Republic Day, the local BJP MP and MLA had visited Kasganj and participated in the cremation of Chandan Gupta. The mob there demanded status of martyr for him with compensation to his family and, on its way back, indulged in further violence and arson.

Reacting to the violence, Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti took forward the same line of people objecting to ‘Tiranga Yatra’. “The incident means that anti-national elements cannot tolerate Tiranga Yatra. The UP government is taking strict actions. Such incidents will not be tolerated and it should also not be politicised,” she said, according to News 18.

Meanwhile, UP government, trying damage control, shunted out Kasganj Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar Singh to “a less significant post”. Piyush Srivastava was appointed the new Kasganj SP, said media reports, while Singh was sent to Police Training School, Meerut.

Governor Ram Naik had called the Kasganj violence a “blot” for the state ruled by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The situation in Kasganj was reportedly tense but a heavy deployment of police personnel combined with a crackdown on hooligans in the district has ensured peace, reported NDTV.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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GRAP stage-III measures enforced across Delhi as air quality worsens

Delhi’s air quality has deteriorated further, prompting authorities to enforce GRAP stage-III measures across the NCR amid rising AQI levels.

Published

11 hours ago

January 16, 2026

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Delhi’s air quality has continued to deteriorate, prompting authorities to enforce Stage-III measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region with immediate effect.

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the national capital showed a worsening trend over the past 24 hours. The AQI stood at 343 on January 15 at 4 pm and rose further to 354 by 4 pm on Thursday, raising concerns that pollution levels could soon enter the ‘Severe’ category.

Weather agencies have forecast unfavourable atmospheric conditions in the coming days, including low wind speeds, a stable atmosphere and poor dispersion of pollutants. Officials said these conditions could push Delhi’s average AQI beyond 400, which falls under the ‘Severe’ air quality bracket.

Stage-III restrictions come into force across NCR

In view of the rising pollution levels and the forecast of further deterioration, the CAQM sub-committee on GRAP decided to invoke all measures under Stage-III. These measures correspond to ‘Severe’ air quality levels and have been implemented as a precautionary step to prevent further decline.

The Stage-III actions will be enforced in addition to the restrictions already in place under Stages I and II of GRAP, which remain operational across the NCR. Officials said the combined measures aim to tighten controls on pollution sources, enhance monitoring and ensure stricter enforcement to curb emissions.

CAQM has directed pollution control boards and concerned agencies in the NCR to intensify preventive and regulatory steps. Authorities have been asked to ensure strict compliance with GRAP norms and take prompt action against violations.

Officials said air quality levels will be closely monitored, and further decisions will be taken based on real-time data and evolving weather conditions. Citizens have been urged to cooperate with advisories and follow measures aimed at reducing pollution levels.

India News

PM Modi to visit Bengal and Assam, launch Vande Bharat sleeper train and key projects

PM Modi will visit West Bengal and Assam on January 17 and 18 to launch India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train and inaugurate major infrastructure projects.

Published

12 hours ago

January 16, 2026

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal and Assam on January 17 and 18, where he will flag off India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train and inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stone for a series of infrastructure and development projects across the two poll-bound states.

Vande Bharat sleeper train to be flagged off from Malda

On Saturday, the prime minister will visit Malda in West Bengal around 12.45 pm and flag off the country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper train connecting Howrah with Guwahati (Kamakhya) from the Malda town railway station.

Later in the day, around 1.45 pm, he will address a public programme in Malda where he will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple rail and road projects worth more than Rs 3,250 crore.

Development projects in Hooghly district

On January 18, around 3 pm, the prime minister will visit Singur in Hooghly district, where he will inaugurate, lay the foundation stone and flag off various development projects worth around Rs 830 crore.

During the visit, Modi will also virtually flag off four new Amrit Bharat Express trains connecting New Jalpaiguri with Nagercoil and Tiruchirappalli, and Alipurduar with Bengaluru and Mumbai (Panvel). These services are aimed at improving affordable long-distance rail connectivity and strengthening inter-state economic and social linkages.

New train services and highway projects in north Bengal

The prime minister will flag off two new train services with LHB coaches — Radhikapur–SMVT Bengaluru Express and Balurghat–SMVT Bengaluru Express — providing direct connectivity from north Bengal to major IT and employment hubs.

He will also lay the foundation stone for the rehabilitation and four-laning of the Dhupguri–Falakata section of National Highway-31D, a project expected to significantly improve road connectivity and the movement of goods and passengers in the region.

Additionally, Modi will lay the foundation stone of four major railway projects in West Bengal, including a new rail line between Balurghat and Hili, next-generation freight maintenance facilities at New Jalpaiguri, upgradation of the Siliguri loco shed and modernisation of Vande Bharat train maintenance facilities in Jalpaiguri district.

He will also dedicate the electrification of the New Coochbehar–Bamanhat and New Coochbehar–Boxirhat rail sections, enabling cleaner and more energy-efficient train operations.

Cultural programme and Kaziranga corridor in Assam

On January 17, around 6 pm, the prime minister will attend the Bodo cultural programme “Bagurumba Dwhou 2026” at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati. More than 10,000 artists from across Assam are expected to perform the traditional Bagurumba dance in a single synchronised presentation.

On January 18, around 11 am, Modi will perform the bhoomi pujan for the Kaziranga elevated corridor project, valued at over Rs 6,950 crore, at Kaliabor in Nagaon district. The 86-km project includes a 35-km elevated wildlife corridor passing through Kaziranga National Park, along with bypasses and highway widening works aimed at improving connectivity while protecting biodiversity.

During the Assam programme, the prime minister will also flag off two new Amrit Bharat Express trains — Guwahati (Kamakhya)–Rohtak and Dibrugarh–Lucknow (Gomti Nagar) — strengthening rail connectivity between the northeast and northern India.

India News

NDA’s track record strikes chord as PM Modi hails Maharashtra civic polls win

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Maharashtra voters after the BJP-led NDA registered a historic victory in the BMC elections, ending decades of Shiv Sena dominance.

Published

12 hours ago

January 16, 2026

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday thanked the people of Maharashtra after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance registered a landmark victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, marking the first time the party has emerged on top in the country’s richest civic body.

In a post on X, the prime minister said the people of the state had endorsed the NDA’s agenda of governance and development. He said the results of municipal corporation elections across Maharashtra showed that the alliance’s bond with voters had further strengthened.

According to PM Modi, the NDA’s track record and vision for development had “struck a chord” with the electorate. He described the verdict as a mandate to accelerate progress while celebrating Maharashtra’s cultural legacy.

BJP-Shiv Sena alliance dominates BMC

As counting continued, trends showed the BJP leading in 90 of the 227 wards in Mumbai, while the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena was ahead in 28 wards. The Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction, which contested separately, was leading in only three wards.

On the opposition side, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena were ahead in 57 and nine wards respectively. The Congress, which contested in alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, was leading in 15 wards, while others were ahead in eight.

The outcome effectively ends the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s decades-long control over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which had been the party’s main power centre since its formation.

In the seat distribution, the BJP contested 137 wards and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena 90. The Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP fielded candidates in 94 wards. On the opposition side, Shiv Sena (UBT) contested 163 seats, the MNS 52, the Congress 143, and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi 46.

Urban verdict weakens Pawar influence

The results in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad also sent a strong political message, indicating that the Pawar brand no longer guarantees success in key urban centres. Despite tactical coordination between the two NCP factions led by Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, voters did not consolidate behind them.

In the Pune Municipal Corporation, the BJP emerged with a clear upper hand, either winning or leading in a significant number of wards. The NCP factions failed to convert their traditional influence into broader citywide support.

Thackeray retains Marathi Manoos connect but loses power base

Uddhav Thackeray appears to have retained a section of the Marathi Manoos vote in Mumbai, even as the Shinde-led Shiv Sena made inroads. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) managed a respectable showing in its traditional strongholds, the loss of control over the BMC is seen as a major setback.

Control of the civic body had long been central to the party’s political identity and a key factor in its alliances.

Devendra Fadnavis emerges as key strategist

Much of the credit for the BJP’s sweeping civic success is being attributed to Devendra Fadnavis. Under his leadership, the Mahayuti alliance has carried forward its assembly election momentum into municipal politics.

The results are being seen as reinforcing Fadnavis’s political standing, demonstrating that even combined opposition forces could not halt the BJP’s rise. The verdict has also challenged the long-held claim of the Thackeray family over Marathi votes in Mumbai.