New Delhi: Muslims distributed water, juice and soft drinks to hundreds from the Hindu community who were part of a religious procession in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida on Sunday, April 17, a day after communal clashes broke out in adjoining Delhi.On the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, a procession of Bajrang Dal members undertaking a Shobha Yatra reportedly reached the mosque in Jahangirpuri’s Block C at 5 pm, when the incident took place. The communal clashes broke out after a Hindutva procession allegedly attempted to wave a saffron flag in front of the mosque.The incident reportedly involved stone-pelting from both sides and even gunshots fired from a country-made pistol. Some vehicles were reportedly set ablaze during the incident, The Wire reported.The Delhi police have arrested 22 people – all Muslim – in connection with the incident, according to The Wire report.Meanwhile, several incidents of communal harmony have also emerged from across the country on social media.In Noida, the Shobha Yatra was greeted by members of the Muslim community who offered juice, cold drinks and water to the Hindus, Dubey said, Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) Noida media in-charge Rahul Dubey told PTI.He said the event was a big success and went off peacefully, adding a huge number of supporters had turned out for the yatra which ensured there was no problem during the programme.The Shobha Yatra in Noida was held a day after the Hanuman Jayanti. It started from sector 45 and went past sectors 37, 18, 5, 8, 9, 12-22, to finally culminate at the Hanuman Mandir in Sector 34. The Shobha Yatra was greeted by members of the Muslim community at sector 9’s Bamboo market.Also read: Why Social Harmony Is Important for a Healthy EconomyIn Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal, a Muslim community on Saturday, April 16 welcomed the Shobha Yatra with flower petals, The Quint reported.According to the report, the Rath Yatra started from Talaiya in Bhopal and passed through a Muslim area amid heavy police deployment.Members of the Muslim community told the news outlet that they welcomed the yatra as brotherhood should be the real aim.#WATCH Madhya Pradesh | People from the Muslim community shower flower petals on devotees during the Hanuman Jayanti procession in Bhopal yesterday pic.twitter.com/3d3riqgo22— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) April 17, 2022This happened yesterday in #Bhopal. People from Muslim community showered flower petals on the procession which was carried out on the eve of #HanumanJayanti2022 @CP_Bhopal ensured friendliness and order. @TheQuint @QuintHindi pic.twitter.com/GxRMyDPr4F— Vishnukant (@vishnukant_7) April 17, 2022This comes days after the communal violence broke out in the state when a Ram Navami procession on April 10 made its way past a mosque. The police named three persons – all Muslim – and accused them of setting a motorcycle on fire on that day.Surprisingly, the three accused have been in jail since March on charges of attempt to murder, NDTV reported, raising questions about the police investigations in the rioting case.Days later, on chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s orders, more than 60 houses of those accused of rioting – all Muslims – were destroyed. Many have criticised the administration’s move, saying it was bypassing legal due process.The houses were als0 demolished citing illegal construction. However, one of the houses destroyed as “illegal” in Khargone, had been built under the central housing scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the Indian Express reported.In West Bengal’s Siliguri, on April 10, some young people from the Muslim community distributed water bottles and hugged the participants at a Ram Navami procession, ANI reported.Shahnewaz Hussein, one of the volunteers who distributed water bottles, told the news agency, “We took the decision to distribute the bottles to foster affection among the people of different communities. We distributed more than 4,000 water bottles in the procession.”“India is a country where there is unity in diversity, which is also endorsed by our Constitution. We enjoy everyone’s festivals. It is Ram Navami today, and we are happy to take part in the celebrations. It is also the month of Ramzan,” he said.(With inputs from PTI)
