On August 4, Raja Uday Pratap Singh, the previous Raja of Bhadri estate and father of former Minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh, also known as Raja Bhaiya, began a protest against the establishment of a temporary Muharram gate in the Shekhpur Ashik region of Pratapgarh’s Kunda development block.
Uday Pratap Singh, father of politician Raja Bhaiya, sitting on dharna for removal of a gate which resembles a mosque structure in Shekhpura village in UP’s Pratapgarh district. pic.twitter.com/R0fYT9WRX8
— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) August 3, 2022
“In Shekhpur village located at Kunda, Pratapgarh, Muslims have built a gate of the mosque across the road, on which many things are written in their language. They are forcing the Hindus to walk under it. We suggest that all Hindus complain to the chief minister that the gate should be removed immediately”, Uday Pratap Singh was quoted in a report.
According to the reports, demands put forth by the UP MLA’s father include the removal of the illegal Muharram gate and other establishments assembled by the Islamists in the region. “I will continue with the sit-in until the temporary gate is removed,” Uday Pratap Singh said on August 4. This is a day after his condition deteriorated due to no food and medicines. Immediately, a team from Kunda’s community health facility was dispatched for a medical check on Wednesday. The team reported that Uday Pratap Singh’s blood pressure readings were noted lower than normal.
Singh, whose father Raja Bajrang Bahadur Singh was the founder and vice-chancellor of Pant Nagar Agriculture University and later the second governor of Himachal Pradesh state, reiterated his demand for the removal of the Muharram gate. He stated that the religious sentiments of Hindus were being hurt and that rituals from other religions were forcefully being imposed upon Hindus. “The administration and the police are taking no action against them (Islamists). When they are asked to take action against Hindus, they (Police) are quick. We’ll protest until all our demands are met”, he said.
प्रतापगढ़ के कुण्डा में हिन्दू धार्मिक भावनाओं को ठेस पहुंचाने पर राजा उदय प्रताप सिंह बड़े महाराज का कुण्डा तहसील परिसर में हजारों समर्थकों के साथ धरना प्रदर्शन ।@myogiadityanath सरकार से मांग कर रहे है उदय महाराज @rajnathsingh @Uppolice @TheLallantop @pratapgarhpol @dgpup pic.twitter.com/MsAYLmbRRH
— Local News Kunda (@Localnewskunda) August 3, 2022
District Magistrate Nitin Bansal, Superintendent of Police Satpal Antil, and other top local officials also rushed to the spot on Wednesday night to appease Uday Pratap Singh. He however refused to move from his position. Later, though he ate his meal and took his medicine, he refused to stop protesting, which continued on Thursday with the assistance of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Adhivakta Sangh, and several other shopkeepers.
Meanwhile, the All India Hindu Mahasabha (AIHM) has also extended its support to Raja Uday Pratap Singh. National spokesperson of Mahasabha Shishir Chaturvedi said that Raja Uday Pratap Singh has the full support of ‘All India Hindu Mahasabha’ and soon the delegation of Mahasabha will go to Pratapgarh. Chaturvedi also said that the district administration is doing Muslim appeasement. If the district administration does not stop this appeasement, Hindu Mahasabha would protest on the streets.
However, Kundra SDM Satish Chandra Tripathi said that the temporary gate is built every year during Muharram which is removed after the festival, and it is a part of the local custom. He said that both parties should talk to each other to resolve the dispute.
