UP: Hindu devotees stopped from offering Kartik Purnima prayers at the disputed temple–dargah site in Fatehpur; FIR filed against 21 women

Women stopped from worship in Fatehpur
Police stop women from worshipping at disputed shrine in Fatehpur (screengrab via video)

Tension erupted in the Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh on the occasion of Kartik Purnima, on Wednesday, 5th November, where Hindus were stopped from offering Kartik Purnima prayers at a disputed temple-dargah site.

A group of women clashed with the police at a disputed religious site where the women had gone to worship. The women said that they were peacefully trying to perform their ritual but were stopped and mistreated by the police.

According to the media reports, the women, led by the wife of local leader Pappu Singh Chauhan, were carrying worship materials and were going to the disputed site for Kartik Purnima worship, but the police personnel already deployed in the area stopped them from advancing further, citing security reasons.

The women demonstrated against the police action, arguing that they were not causing any disturbance and came out only out of devotion. Feeling disheartened by the authorities’ behaviour, they offered prayers and performed aarti from a distance before quietly dispersing.

The police had registered an FIR against 21 women, including Chauhan’s wife, after the incident. The women claim they were unfairly treated as offenders despite having committed no offence. “The matter is already in court. We only went there to pray, not to create trouble,” one of the women said.

The site has long been the matter of controversy. While the Math-Mandir Sanrakshan Sangharsh Samiti claims it to be an ancient temple of Thakur Ji and sought permission for worship and cleaning, the caretaker, Abu Huraira, identifies it as the Mangi Dargah, a historical mausoleum.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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