A week after clashes between residents of BK Dutt Colony and members of the Jor Bagh karbala Shah-E-Mardan, representatives of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) joined a colony meeting on Sunday, saying if the “atmosphere was vitiated”, it would not hesitate to intervene.
On October 12, stonepelting and violence had broken out between the two groups after an altercation over alleged felling of a peepul tree in the area.
On Sunday, the RWA and Vikas Samiti of the colony held a colony meeting at BD Park, where VHP secretary Vindo Bansal was present. “This has gone on long enough and the parties concerned must find a solution to the problem..,” he said.
“What happened on the night of Karwachauth in the colony was disturbing and our residents were attacked. This is not the first time something like this has happened. The Anjuman-e-Haideri, karbala management) always clubs us with their arguments with the nursery in the area. But theirs is a different issue and our problem is with people of the dargah… and their continued efforts to disturb our functions,” Harbans Lal Dankal, of BK Dutt Colony RWA, said.
A spokesperson of Anjuman-E-Haideri said the involvement of the VHP was proof that the residents were attempting to escalate the tension.
“If this is only a disagreement between the dargah and residents, why must the VHP get involved?… It was them who started the altercation last week and we were not cutting down any tree. We were only cleaning the area before Muharram. We are worried they will not let our procession on that occasion pass peacefully and want the authorities to keep an eye on the situation,” he said.