UP chief secretary declares arrest of 62 people in Kanth violence, says none will be spared who disturbs communal harmony

Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary, Alok Ranjan on Saturday said that 62 people have been arrested following the violence which occured in Kanth yesterday and added that the administration will not tolerate any move by anyone to vitiate the communal atmosphere in the state.

"The situation is normal now, though the situation was tense yesterday. We did not give any permission for mahapanchayat there. This led to blockage of train tracks by some which made the police to act. That led the police to sustain injuries while driving the agitators out from the spot who indulged in stone pelting," Ranjan said.

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"We have arrested 62 people. We are clear that those who indulge in disturbing the communal atmosphere will be dealt sternly. We hope that people maintain communal harmony and this is what we expect," he added.

Yesterday, BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Sangeet Som and five others were released from police custody after being detained earlier for heading a Mahapanchayat in Kanth near Moradabad to protest against the administration's decision to remove loudspeaker from a temple.

Som was one of the legislators booked and later released for inciting the last year's bloody religious clashes in Muzaffarnagar.

Uttar Pradesh has been a hotbed for communal and political upheaval. A similar Mahapanchayat last year had fueled riots in Muzaffarnagar district in which many people were killed and thousands were driven out of their villages.