‘Kanwar vandalised’: Kanwariyas protest at police outpost in Meerut
Around 40 kanwariyas hailing from Rajasthan created a ruckus and damaged police vehicles after two men belonging to a different community allegedly spit on their tableau near the Highway police outpost in Meerut on Saturday, officers said.
“The kanwariyas nabbed one of the men and beat him up, while the other fled. A police team soon reached the spot,” said an officer. “The kanwariyas claimed that the two men also damaged the pitchers in which they were carrying water from the Ganga,” the officer added.
“The demonstration continued for over two hours and the protesters were pacified only after Senior Superintendent of Police, Meerut, Rohit Singh Sajawan assured them that a police team will accompany four of them to Haridwar and bring back water from Ganga river for the pitchers,” said another officer.
“A police vehicle with two personnel accompanied four kanwariyas to Haridwar to bring water from the Ganga. We have arrested one of the accused and are trying to find his accomplice. We cannot reveal the identity of the accused as of now for security reasons,” said Superintendent of Police (City) Vineet Bhatnagar.
“We were near the highway police outpost when the two men suddenly approached us and damaged our pitchers and the kanwar. We caught one of them and handed him to the police,” claimed Honey Mukheeja, who was among the protesting kanwariyas.
Police said the group of kanwariyas hailed from Sikri tehsil of Bharatpur district in Rajasthan. “They were returning after collecting water from Ganga in their pitchers. They will resume their journey later at night after the kanwariyas return from Haridwar with the holy water,” said an officer.
