Police book 60 after celebratory firing by VHP, Bajrang Dal supporters in Agra

The Agra Police have registered a case against 60 people under the Arms Act late Saturday night after a widely shared video showed Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal activists firing in the open near Agra fort to celebrate Vijay Dashami.

“Twenty nine of the 60 people are known while the rest are being identified from the video,” Sanjeev Tomar, officer in-charge of Rakabganj police station told HT on Sunday.

The police had taken serious note of VHP and Bajrang Dal activists firing in the open and raising objectionable slogans during celebrations at Hanuman Temple near Ramlila Maidan of Agra.

“The matter has come to our notice and the way firing has been done in open at venue so near to tourist place of Agra Fort makes the matter serious and calls for action. Those responsible for making inflammatory religious remarks and firing in open would be identified and would be booked in a case being registered,” Agra superintendent of police (SP) Kunwar Anupam Singh had said Saturday night.

“The video and photographs available would be worked upon to identify the accused and action would follow,” he said.

The city police chief also said that gun licenses would be cancelled if it is found that any of those involved in the firing had violated the law.

The celebratory firing took place after ‘shastra pujan’ (worship of arms) associated with Vijay Dashami.

The VHP and Bajrang Dal activists had guns, pistols and swords and raised slogans in favour of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Some allegedly raised objectionable slogans too, targeting the minority community.

The VHP insists it did not violate the law.

Sunil Parashar, local VHP leader said, “The firing was within the temple complex and not at any public place. Shastra pujan, associated with Vijay Dashami was also held at the Hanuman Temple, located far away from Agra Fort, which is frequented by tourists. So there was nothing objectionable.”

For the RSS cadre in Mathura, it was a sober affair as the festival was celebrated with shastra pujan and ‘path-sanchalan’ (road march) on Saturday morning.