Policemen hold a flag march after at Aishbagh area in Lucknow on Saturday. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav) Policemen hold a flag march after at Aishbagh area in Lucknow on Saturday. (Express Photo by Vishal Srivastav)

A day after Hindus and Muslims clashed in Lucknow’s Old City area, heavy police force continued to be deployed on Saturday in Bazarkhala, which has a mixed population of both the communities.

At the centre of the clash are a Hanuman temple, barely 20 steps away from a mosque in a narrow bylane, and two local leaders — one from BJP and the other from SP.

While BJP corporator Saket Sharma accused SP leader and corporator Adil Ahmed and his father Rafiq Ahmed of leading a group of rioters and indulging in firing on Friday evening, Rafiq claimed Sharma had led a mob that indulged in stone-pelting and firing.

“A loudspeaker was playing at the temple around 1 pm when namaz was to begin at the mosque. A Muslim boy went to the temple and told them to switch off the loudspeaker till Friday prayers are completed. But they did not listen and a few of them spoke in a provocative way. Then the police were called in and the loudspeaker was switched off following intervention from a sub-inspector,” Rafiq said.

Around 7 pm, Rafiq alleged, a group of over 40 men — led by Sharma — came near the mosque and started to speak to a few Muslim boys present there. “The arguments began and a boy with Sharma hurled abuses at a Muslim, who slapped him. This led to tension. While returning, those who had came with Sharma, indulged in stone pelting and firing. I was speak to Sharma but had to stop midway when I heard a gunshot being fired towards me,” he said.

Rafiq claimed that both sides had indulged in stone pelting and the situation was brought under control after the police and Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel arrived. “No one from his side indulged in firing,” he added.

Sharma, however, claimed that the quarrel started after a Muslim, Raja alias Uwaish, asked Hindus — who were distributing alms and sherbet at the Hanuman temple — to stop the function and damaged tables set up there.

“When I was came to know about the incident in the evening, I went to the temple with four or five boys. There, we spoke to some Muslims and one of them slapped a boy who was with me. The boy slapped him back. Soon, there was a mob coming towards us and we left the place,” he said.

Sharma alleged a mob of over 100, led by Adil, attacked the houses of Hindus. “The mob fired 18 rounds,” he said. A day after the incident, there is uneasy calm in the area. Raeesa, who lives with her four daughters in the locality, said she was cooking when her house was hit by bricks. “They were throwing bricks at the doors. My youngest daughter was hit. They also broke the wooden bench lying at my door. My neighbour’s door was broken. We feel very scared here,” she added.

Police have booked unidentified Muslims and Hindus — around 60 each from both sides — and are yet to make any arrests. Names of neither Adil nor Sharma have been mentioned in the FIR.

“An FIR has been lodged against unidentified persons. No arrests have been made. All allegations, including the role of corporators in the clash, is being probed,” said DIG (Lucknow Range) R K Chaturvedi.

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