The Indian city of Uttarakhand imposed a curfew as it faces chaos following the demolition of an "illegally built" madrasa that has already injured hundreds of people and killed several others.
Communal tension has gripped Haldwani after violence in the region broke out on Thursday evening in Banbhoolpura. The district magistrate was the one who imposed the curfew and officials also issued a "shoot-at-sight" order against the rioters.
On Friday, the Nainital district magistrate, Vandana Singh, revised the death tollto two, from three-four that was reported on Thursday evening. The error in the numbers was due to some "confusion."
The people who have been wounded were primarily law enforcement personnel. Vandana also noted that the curfew has also been imposed in Haldwani to maintain law and order situation. Internet services were also suspended in the city. Officials added that an order to keep schools in the area closed down has also been issued, as per the Hindustan Times.
Senior Superintendent of police Prahlad Meena said that a notice was served earlier on the madrasa that was allegedly constructed illegally on government land. Vandana also claimed that the rioters tried to torch the Banbhoolpura police station amid the chaos.
He said that at the time, law enforcement personnel were present at the police station. He added that the violence later spread to the Gandhi Nagar area near Banbhoolpura. He also claimed that it appeared that the violence was "pre-planned and unprovoked."
Following the initial bout of violence, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in the capital Dehradun summoned a meeting of senior officials. SSP Meena noted that the demolition was carried out in the presence of municipal commissioner Pankaj Upadhyay, city magistrate Richa Singh, and SDM Paritosh Verma.
Officials were able to take control of the situation in the region with the help of nearly 4,000 police officers who rushed to the area. Police officer AP Anshuman said that law enforcement personnel were ordered to shoot protesters who were found to be in violation of the curfew, according to ABC News.
Demolition of "Illegally Built" Madrasa
Amid the chaos, police officers fired live ammunition and tear gas to disperse protesters who were using petrol bombs and stones to attack a police station. The state director-general of police, Abhinav Kumar, said that the situation in the Indian city was tense but relatively under control on Friday after protesters dispersed.
The region of Haldwani is located roughly 270 kilometers northeast of New Delhi, the nation's capital. Several Muslim groups have accused the country's Hindu-nationalist government of using bulldozers to demolish their homes and businesses in the past.
Dhami said that a team was dispatched to the area to be responsible for carrying out the demolition operation following a court order. He also stressed that "anti-social elements" in the area had clashed with the police.
Upadhyay claimed that the madrasa and namaz sites were illegal, highlighting that the Haldwani civic body previously seized three acres of nearby land and sealed the structures. On Thursday, the Uttarakhand High Court had a hearing on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to stop the demolition, said NDTV.
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