Another communal violence in UP: Teacher alleges forced conversion, gang rape

Close on the heels of the Saharanpur riots; it seems there is a new communal violence is in the offing in Uttar Pardesh. As per reports, tension gripped western Uttar Pradesh district of Meerut on Sunday after a mob belonging to a particular community came out on the roads in Kharkhauda area. They were protesting against an alleged attempt to convert religion of a young madrasa teacher, who was allegedly gangraped by assaulters.

What is the incident?

As per a TOI report, "Allegations are that Nawab, his brother Sanaullah, his wife and their daughter kidnapped the girl on July 23. She was allegedly taken to a madrassa in Hapur area where she was allegedly raped by Nawab, a priest of the school and four others. Thereafter, she was forced to sign some papers which supposedly declare that she had converted to Islam and married Nawab."

The 20-year-old woman was also kept in confinement for nearly 3-4 days from where she managed to escape and reached Kharkhauda and narrated the whole incident to her family.

This news spread like a wildfire in the town which led to tension in Meerut which already tops the list of communally sensitive districts in Uttar Pradesh and a mob came out on roads to protest against the incident.

Communal violence - not first time in UP

Recently, violent clashes erupted in Saharanpur killing three men and injuring over 24 others when two groups clashed over a patch of disputed land adjoining a gurdwara close to the city's railway station. Rioting began when a group of people gathered outside the gurdwara and started pelting stones. Several shops were belonging to Sikhs were looted and burnt.

While one group claimed the disputed land belonged to the Wakf Board, the other insisted it had purchased it 15 years ago and has the papers to show for it.

This incident is once again going to disturb the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh which has already dampened the credibility of the state government. When will the state government come in to action to put a curb on such incidents.