Several saffron outfits on Tuesday condemned the filing of a First Information Report against those who were involved in firing at the Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad’s Masuri on September 30, the day of Vijaya Dashmi, the Hindustan Times reported. A video of the incident had gone viral, leading the police to file a First Information Report against unidentified persons.
On Tuesday, the saffron outfits condemned the police action. “We have been performing rituals and firing our arms on this occasion for many years now, and the police also know of this,” Shashi Chauhan, a woman councillor from Dasna, said.
The Shiv Sena claimed that the Ghaziabad administration had not set up a shooting range in Nirwari town, due to which the party workers were forced to shoot in other places. “The firing is done to check the weapons in the absence of a shooting gallery,” the Shiv Sena’s Uttar Pradesh Vice President Mahesh Ahuja said. “The First Information Report lodged by the police is an attempt to demean the ritual performed by Hindus. We will protest if an arrest is made. Also, we will continue to perform the same ritual next year with more devotees”.
The police have lodged a case under the Arms Act but are yet to make any arrests. “We are checking the video which went viral on the social media,” Masuri circle officer Raj Kumar Pandey said. “Arrests will definitely be made in the case but we are still investigating it.” The firing incident has led to communal tension in Masuri, The Indian Express had reported on Monday.
On October 2, the Agra Police had registered a First Information Report against 60 members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal for engaging in “celebratory firing” as part of Dussehra festivities.
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