An Eid Milad Ul Nabi procession, also known as Barawafat, is taken out to mark the birthday of Prophet Muhammed, which was marked on 2nd December. One such procession in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich region turned violent, after its participants resorted to rioting and vandalism.

As per media reports, participants started rioting on Saturday morning by vandalising and looting from more than 15 homes and shops in the region. The rioters even proceeded to fire bullets and attack people with swords, which resulted in injuries to 8 people. The reports further claimed that even women were molested.

This incident was reported from the Gurgutta village in Nanpara Kotwali. Based on the testimony of 14 affected, a case was filed against the assailants. The trouble seems to have begun when the procession deviated from its traditional route and went straight towards a religious shrine. This resulted in a protest by people from another community, after which a few procession marchers decided to start violence.

The two police constables present with the procession tried to quell the violence but the rioters attacked and chased them away. These constables later informed their seniors, but before a police force could arrive, the rioters had already inflicted the damage. The houses and homes of at least 16 residents were attacked and the criminals even proceeded to burn bike and cars present outside the village homes.

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The police team later arrived after tension spread in the region and a heavy police and para-military force has been deployed there. The police has since then arrested 15 people, from whose homes a heavy quantity of loot and swords have been obtained. Cases under SC/ST act also have been registered as those attacked included people from Dalit communities.

A Dainik Jagran report claims that the incident primarily went out of hand due to the lackadaisical attitude of the police. Owing to a mixed communal population, the festivals in this region are known to cause communal tension. But the police decided to leave this heavy crowd of procession marches in the hands of a mere two policemen.