The death of a Hindu youth, who succumbed to a bullet wound following communal tensions during the Durga idol immersion procession in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, on October 13, was further exacerbated by a BJP MLA's remark targeting Muslim journalists.
Amid the unrest, BJP MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi, who represents Deoria and is a former media advisor to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, stirred further controversy by posting on X (formerly Twitter) about the role of Muslim journalists in covering the incident.
Tripathi shared a list of 13 Muslim journalists, suggesting that their coverage of the events in Bahraich was biased. His post raised concerns about the safety of these journalists, as he singled out individuals from media outlets like NDTV, PTI, India TV, and others. Tripathi's targeting of Muslim journalists, while ignoring those from the Hindu community covering the same events, drew widespread criticism, The Wire reported.
The conflict began when members of the Muslim community reportedly objected to the music being played outside their residence. As the procession passed by a mosque in a predominantly Muslim area, tensions flared, and a group of people from both sides clashed.
According to police reports, the violence intensified when an altercation resulted in the killing of Mishra, who was shot by a person believed to have fired from a Muslim household.
The violence in Bahraich spread beyond the immediate clash, as angry mobs took to the streets, torching shops, vehicles, and a private hospital. Police intervened with lathi-charges and flag marches to control the growing unrest. Reports indicated that some individuals were armed with sticks and iron rods, causing widespread damage and further increasing tensions in the region.
As the situation deteriorated, Chief Minister Adityanath directed authorities to take strict action against those responsible for the violence and those whose negligence contributed to the escalation.
Meanwhile, political leaders and parties responded to the incident with sharp rhetoric, with opposition figures linking the violence to the upcoming by-elections in the state. Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav suggested that the timing of the violence was not coincidental, associating it with the political climate leading up to the elections.
Despite Tripathi's controversial social media activity, which many saw as inflammatory, local BJP leaders called for peace. Sureshwar Singh, the BJP MLA from Mahasi, posted on social media urging Hindus to remain calm and trust the legal process being carried out by the administration. The call for peace, however, appeared to be overshadowed by the broader communal tensions that were playing out on the ground.