Kasganj violence: Youth believed slain in clashes says he's hale and hearty

Rahul Upadhyaya says people should have checked the veracity of the rumours before going ahead with condolences and condemnation

A young man rumoured to have been killed in the communal clashes in Kasganj district of Uttar Pradesh on Republic Day, surfaced on Tuesday and trashed reports of his death. The 24-year-old youth, Rahul Upadhyaya, said his death was falsely reported and after he was informed of this by a friend, he came forward to announce that he is fine.

Upadhyaya was the second youth who was reported to have been killed in the violence along with Chandan Gupta. The news had gone viral on social media, fuelling anger among the people of the violence-hit district. Upadhyaya told media persons that he was not even in the town when the violence broke out. "I had gone to my village and I am hale and hearty," he said. Police had earlier said there was one death in the clashes in the aftermath of the 'Tiranga Yatra'. Four persons have been arrested for spreading rumours on social media.

Town still tense
Stray incidents of violence were reported from the western Uttar Pradesh town which continued to be tense with heavy deployment of RAF and PAC personnel to keep a check on rumour mongers and trouble makers. Some miscreants tried to create trouble yesterday by damaging a dome-like structure on the wall of an Eidgah, located in Amanpur, 25 km from the district headquarters, officials said. The police and administration controlled the situation immediately, District Magistrate RP Singh told reporters.

A shopkeeper's store was burnt down in the district on Monday night. "I have been living and working here for the past 20 years. Even though I am the only Muslim among a Hindu majority, we never had any problems," the shopkeeper said. A Peace Committee formed by the district administration has been doing the rounds of the troubled areas requesting people not to pay heed to rumours. Some illegal arms were also recovered during raids, an official said.

UP CM speaks
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath yesterday warned of strict action against the perpetrators of violence. "Our government is committed to provide security to each and every citizen. Those indulging in anarchy will not be spared," he told mediapersons.

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