Rishikesh: A video has gone viral on the social media in which members of a right-wing organisation can be seen demolishing two mazars using hammers and an earth-moving machine in Amit Gram area of Rishikesh.
Two young men can be seen in the video breaking the mazars with hammers amid cries of Jai Shri Ram. The scene is followed by another in which an earth-mover is seen clearing the debris of the demolished mazars. A person can also be heard saying that all such illegal mazars anywhere in the state will be demolished.
"It is Devbhoomi not Mazarbhoomi," he says.
An anti-encroachment drive is currently underway in different parts of the state and a number of mazars have been demolished as part of the exercise. However, in this case it was done not by the administration but by an aggressive Hindutva outfit -- Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan. Devbhoomi Raksha Abhiyan president Swami Darshan Bharti said they had the permission to demolish the mazars from the owners of the land on which they were built.
"The land on which the mazars were built belong to two Hindus from the hills. They permitted us to demolish them. We did it in the presence of police personnel," he said.
"There are 25-30 such mazars in Gumaniwala and Shyampur areas of Rishikesh. We will demolish them too. Building mazars in Devbhoomi is an attack on our religion," he said.
"Do it elsewhere if you want, but spare Devbhoomi," he said.
Rishikesh Kotwali SHO Khushi Ram Pandey said a case under Section 505 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against unidentified people in connection with the incident.
Section 505 of the IPC deals with statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes and offence committed in place of worship or in any assembly engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies.
—PTI