As violence gripped the town of Munger in Bihar during the Durga Puja immersion ceremony and led to the death of one participant, SP Munger Lipi Singh defended the police brutalities on the devotees, claiming that the stone-pelting from devotees provoked the ensuing violence. She also asserted that 20 policemen were injured by stone-pelting from the crowd.
Singh further added that one of the members of the crowd opened fire which led to the death of the 18-year-old devotee.
During Durga puja immersion, some anti-social elements restored to stone pelting which injured 20 policemen after this someone from the crowd fired leading to one death. Situation under control: Lipi Singh, SP Munger pic.twitter.com/gWjBxofjdw
— ANI (@ANI) October 27, 2020
Videos of the incident tell a different story
However, the videos of the incident that is being shared on various social media platforms does not jibe with the assertions made by SP Munger. On the contrary, they demonstrate that Singh’s claim about devotees indulging in violence and stone pelting are a far cry from the reality.
This is from Munger in Bihar. A most brutal attack on Durga Puja devotees by police and security personnel. Pictures of a youth killed in this attack are horrific and deeply disturbing. pic.twitter.com/Bpqptzb3e1
— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) October 27, 2020
As per the video shared in the above tweet, one can see police personnel raining batons on the peaceful devotees, who then scramble to surround the idol of Goddess Durga, presumably to protect her from the police assault.
Another video that is doing the rounds on the internet is about the purported locals in the region who pin the blame of the violence squarely on the police force. The locals claimed that the police started firing without issuing warning and later they did not even offer assistance to transport the injured to the hospital.
Local residents squarely blame this incident on the superintendent of police, Munger, Ms. Lipi Singh.
— Soumyadipta (@Soumyadipta) October 27, 2020
Hear them speak how the police started firing without warnings. Then the police didn’t even help to carry the injured to the hospital.https://t.co/xTKlIHSUiZ
In yet another video from Munger, just before the police onslaught, devotees could be seen indulging in the Durga Puja celebrations. No kind of violence, as claimed by the SP Munger, can be witnessed in the video.
The video was just shot before this horrible massacre. Look how devotees were indulged in the Durga Puja celebration 🙏🙏 इतने दिनों की आस्था को इन्होंने रौंद के रख दिया है।#blackday #Munger pic.twitter.com/TkP55PoitY
— Aditya Sinha (@AdityaS93871246) October 27, 2020
Though, SP Munger contended that the crowd resorted to stone-pelting during which about 20 policemen were injured, in the videos of the incidents that are being widely shared on social media websites, one cannot see streets littered with stones or bricks.
Police open fire at Durga Visarjan procession in Munger
Tension continues to grip Munger town and the surrounding areas in Bihar after violence was heaped at a Hindu procession for Durga idol immersion. An 18-year-old youth has reportedly been killed and several others injured in the firing that took place on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
The violence, as per reports, broke out after Kotwali police asked Hindus not to delay the idol immersion procession of Shadipur Badi Durga. Traditionally, the idols are immersed after three days of Vijayadashami but this time, in view of the first phase of Assembly polls in the state on Wednesday, the administration had insisted on the immersion by 5 am on Tuesday.
Durga puja organizers, as instructed, had taken out the procession allegedly with DJs close to midnight as they headed for the immersion. The situation turned ugly around 11.50 pm when police officials used brutal force on Hindus going for Durga Puja Visarjan.
