APCR report raises questions on Municipal Commissioner’s role on Haldwani violence

Association for Protection of Civil Rights has released its fact finding report on Haldwani violence. In which he has raised questions regarding the role of Municipal Corporation Commissioner to sanitation workers. Along with this, he has also stated that the number of people who died in the violence is higher.

Police built detention centers like torture chambers
This fact-finding report by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights states that “Official figures claim that only 30-36 people have been detained, but the truth is different. Police have created detention centers like torture chambers. “Where many persons, including people from Haldwani living in other cities, have been detained for various reasons.”

Along with this, it has been said in this report that “A center has been set up in a school 15 kilometers away to keep more people detained than arrested. Local people say that more than 5000 people have been kept there.

Police denied the allegations
The police have denied these allegations made in the APCR report. Police PRO Dinesh Joshi has said that “There is no such detention centre. The school is functioning normally and they are conducting their board exams.”

The report also says that the Chief Minister’s statement in the Haldwani violence case is also relevant because he has called the ‘demolition of 3000 tombs’ an achievement of his government. While they have mostly maintained silence about unauthorized Hindu religious structures in forests and Nazul lands.

In the report, the fact finding team said that in the Haldwani violence, polarizing narratives, claims of love jihad, land jihad, business jihad and mazar jihad and calls for economic and social boycott of Muslims have also played a role in increasing the unrest.

Questions are being raised on the role of Municipal Corporation Commissioner
According to this report, questions are being raised on the role of Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Upadhyay in Haldwani violence. The report said that he was transferred on January 31 but why did he still not take up his new post. Along with this, on February 8, he was seen abusing Muslims and misbehaving with Muslim women.

The role of sanitation workers is also under question
According to this report, the role of sanitation workers in the Banbhulpura violence case is also under question. The report said that sanitation workers from the Valmiki community supported the police in attacking the Muslims. Seeing this, it seems that his attack was “part of anti-Muslim hatred and fundamentalism”. Because Sanjay Solankar, a member of Valmiki community, had also killed his neighbor Faheem.

Along with this, it has been said in this report that the participation of a third group was seen in a separate incident related to the attack on the police station. Due to which maximum number of people were injured in this violence and the situation worsened further after this attack. Along with this, the police did not make a list of the Quran and other items kept there. Even if the list was made, handing over to the responsible officer was avoided.

APCR convened a significant joint Press Conference with Karwan-e-Mohabbat on the fact-finding report concerning the recent violence in Haldwani. The panel of speakers included Nadeem Khan, Harsh Mander, Navsharan Kaur, Wajahat Habibullah, Syeda Hameeda, and Ashok Kumar Sharma. pic.twitter.com/sNRwvxDusd

— APCR-Association for Protection of Civil Rights (@apcrofindia) February 16, 2024