A group of miscreants vandalized an idol of Bhakt Prahlad at the Holi Ground in Haldwani, just a few steps away from Banbhulpura, triggering tensions in the area. As news of the incident spread, a large crowd gathered at the scene. Police and administrative officials promptly arrived and removed the damaged idol.
During this time, members of Hindu organizations clashed with people from another community and started removing their stalls. The police received information that people were gathering in Banbhulpura as well, prompting SP City to call additional forces from nearby police stations. For nearly three hours, police and administration officials worked to de-escalate the situation, finally managing to disperse both groups and restore calm.
The incident occurred at 8:30 p.m. on Monday when members of the Ramlila Committee informed the City Magistrate and police that the idol of Bhakt Prahlad at Holi Ground had been broken. Police and administrative teams quickly arrived and removed the idol to prevent further escalation.
Vendors’ Stalls Targeted Amid Rising Tensions
Hundreds of people associated with Hindu organizations gathered at the scene and began removing the stalls of individuals from a particular community, intensifying tensions. Meanwhile, residents from Banbhulpura, located nearby, also started gathering, seeing the commotion. Members of the Hindu organizations moved toward the crowd, leading to heated exchanges, and the situation escalated to stone-pelting. SP City Prakash Chandra, CO Nitin Lohani, and Police Inspector Rajesh Yadav arrived with heavy force and managed to pacify both groups, dispersing the crowds and bringing the situation under control.
Holi Ground Declared No Vending Zone
The Holi Ground has now been declared a no-vending zone. The Municipal Corporation will deploy a team to monitor the area and take action against vendors who set up stalls. Assistant Municipal Commissioner Ganesh Bhatt stated that any stalls set up around the Holi Ground will be confiscated.
Accusations and Reactions
People associated with BJP and other Hindu organizations have accused individuals from a specific community of vandalizing the idol. Angry members overturned one or two stalls belonging to people from that community, creating further unrest. The police intervened, explaining the situation and removing the stalls to avoid further escalation. Members of the Hindu organizations allege that individuals from the other community were responsible for the vandalism.
During the unrest, vendors around Holi Ground were asked who was responsible for the idol’s destruction, and when they claimed ignorance, their stalls were forcibly removed. Tensions were high as fruit stalls in the nearby Sabzi Mandi were also taken down.
Police Learn From Past Riots
The police took swift action, learning from the riots that engulfed Banbhulpura for two weeks earlier this year. As soon as authorities received news of the idol’s destruction, they went into alert mode. Senior police and administrative officials reached the scene and began mediating with both sides. Additional forces from other police stations were summoned, while officials worked to calm members of the Hindu organizations and the other community. Their efforts prevented the situation from spiraling further, but Hindu organizations have warned that they will regroup on Tuesday afternoon if the culprits are not arrested soon.
Police Scanning CCTV Footage
CCTV cameras are installed around the Holi Ground, and police are reviewing the footage to identify the culprits. CO Nitin Lohani assured that strict action would be taken against the offenders, and they would be arrested soon.
MLA Sumit Hridayesh Condemns the Incident
Haldwani MLA Sumit Hridayesh strongly condemned the idol vandalism at Holi Ground, urging authorities to take strict legal action against those responsible. He stated that such incidents must not be tolerated under any circumstances.
