LUCKNOW-MIRA ROAD TENSIONS: Temple Claim, Bakrid Row and Protests Put Police on High Alert

Communal tensions intensified in parts of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra after separate controversies linked to Bakrid, religious claims and public protests triggered heavy police deployment and heightened security measures. In Lucknow, members of Hindu organizations gathered near a disputed religious site claiming that a mosque structure once stood over an ancient temple linked to Lord Shiva and Maharaja Kansa Pasi. Protesters arrived carrying prayer materials and announced plans to perform Sundarkand recitation and worship at the location. Demonstrators alleged that namaz should not be allowed at the site and demanded official recognition of what they described as a historical Hindu heritage structure. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers to maintain law and order and prevent any escalation. Meanwhile, tensions also continued in Mumbai’s Mira Road area outside Poonam Estate Cluster where protests over goats allegedly being kept inside a residential society ahead of Bakrid entered a second day. Hindu organization members and some residents staged demonstrations outside the gated complex, chanting slogans and reciting Hanuman Chalisa while demanding removal of the animals. Protesters accused local authorities and police of failing to act despite municipal rules allegedly restricting such arrangements inside housing societies. Police barricades and security personnel remained stationed both inside and outside the society amid fears of further confrontation. Authorities restricted outsider movement near the premises and closely monitored the gathering as tensions rose throughout the day. The twin controversies have once again brought sensitive religious and communal issues into sharp focus, prompting appeals for restraint and strict enforcement of law and order. Security agencies remain alert as political rhetoric, festival-related disputes and competing religious claims continue to fuel tensions in both regions ahead of Bakrid celebrations.

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