At least five people were killed, and more than 60 were injured in the police firing in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani, where a Madarsa was demolished by municipal authorities, leading to subsequent protests from the locals.
The city has been placed under curfew, with shoot-at-sight orders issued against protesters and internet services completely shut down.
The confrontation happened when a team of government officials, accompanied by policemen, attempted to raze Madrasa following a court order. The madrasa and mosque had been declared illegal by the administration, leading to their demolition. However, this move was met with fierce resistance from residents in the Vanbhulpura area of Haldwani.
At approximately 3:30 pm on February 8, officials, accompanied by bulldozers, arrived to demolish the Madarsa at ‘Malik ke Bagiche. There were no prior notices.
Despite the local residents’ attempts and requests for officials to show the demolition order, they proceeded with force, leading to the escalation of the situation.
Videos showed instances of police brutality against Muslim men and women, with some police officials uttering Islamophobic remarks.
The Madrasa, demolished by the Uttarakhand authorities, situated in the railway colony area, home to over 4,000 families. The Union government seeks the land for railway expansion, and the issue is already being heard in the Supreme Court.
This is a developing story
