After creating much of the ruckus, including vandalism in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, Kanwariyas are seen in a video attacking a biker, whom they alleged broke their Kanwar in an accident on the Saharanpur-Dehradun highway in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
The incident led to the brutal assault of the bike rider and the destruction of his motorcycle. The altercation was captured on video, which has since gone viral on social media.
Police were informed of the situation and arrived at the scene to pacify the agitated Kanwariyas. The disruption in Saharanpur follows a similar incident in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, where Kanwariyas vandalized an auto-rickshaw after claiming it damaged their kanwar.
On July 21, a mob of Kanwariyas vandalized a car and assaulted its driver, claiming his vehicle had damaged their ‘kawad’. Video footage captured the incident, but police found no evidence of damage to the kawad and reported that the violence was unprovoked. An FIR was filed against 10-15 unknown Kanwariyas.
The driver, Aquib, sought refuge in a restaurant and was later rescued by police, while the mob obstructed traffic on the Meerut-Haridwar highway. The car is registered in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
The Kanwar Yatra, a holy pilgrimage undertaken by Kanwariyas, commenced on July 22, 2024, marking the beginning of Sawan (Shravan) and will culminate on August 2, 2024. During this period, pilgrims carry kanwars, sacred water pots, to offer holy Ganga water to Lord Shiva. The yatra sees thousands of devotees travelling through various routes, leading to significant traffic disruptions.
In anticipation of the yatra, the Uttar Pradesh police had announced the closure of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) for heavy vehicles starting July 22. Traffic diversions have been put in place, extending to all vehicles, including private cars, from July 29 until August 5, to accommodate the pilgrimage and ensure safety.