Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The August 28 clash between the people of Pakistani and Indian origins over a cricket march triggered serious communal tension in the United Kingdom on Sunday when a group of Muslims allegedly vandalized a Hindu temple in Leicestershire, the media reported.
The clash, ahead of the nine-day Hindu festival of Navaratri beginning September 26, came after several videos and reports circulated on social media about organized Pakistani groups vandalizing and terrorizing the Hindus in Leicester City. They reported a spate of violence and disorders in the area.
According to the media reports, a Hindu temple was vandalized and a saffron flag outside it was pulled down by unidentified people in East Leicester. Police began an investigation after a video of the incident surfaced online.
In a viral video on social media, they saw a man clothed in black climbing atop a temple and pulling down a saffron flag amid hooting and cheering by a group of his supporters, as uniformed police officers looked on.
Ironically, the incident occurred when police officials were dealing with “public disorder” nearby.
Taking cognizance of the matter, the police merely said. “We are aware of a video circulating showing a man pulling down a flag outside a religious building on Milton Road. This appears to have taken place while officers were dealing with nearby public disorder. We do not tolerate violence or disorder and are investigating the incident.”
The incident took place amid communal tensions between Hindu and Muslim groups following an Asia Cup match last month in which India defeated Pakistan.
The police called for calm after clashes between fans following an India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match at the end of last month spilled over into “serious disorder” on Saturday and the early hours of Sunday in East Leicester.
So far, the police have arrested 15 people — including one for violent disorder and one for possession of a bladed weapon.
It all began on August 28 after India won the cricket match against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022, sparking a communal fight in Milton Road, Belgrave, leading to 27 arrests so far, according to a UK-based media publication Leicester Mercury.
On Saturday, police denied rumors of an attack on a mosque as claimed on social media postings. “We’ve seen reports on social media that a mosque is being attacked. Officers on the ground have confirmed this is not true. Please only share information on social media you know to be true.”
The Leicestershire Police assured to continue to call for dialogue and calm with support from local community leaders. “We will not tolerate violence or disorder in our city,” police said, adding, “We are asking people to avoid the area while our police operation continues. Dispersal orders are now in place and we have a large number of officers on the ground, protecting our communities.”