Violence broke out in Dadarpur village in the district after police registered an FIR against the Kathawachaks (religious narrators) under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on Thursday.
Police said the supporters of the Kathawachaks fought a pitched battle with security personnel, alleging that religious figures from the Yadav community are being deliberately implicated.
The supporters later turned violent, and the mob pelted stones at the police and ransacked a police jeep along with a car. Police eventually chased them away and brought the situation under control.
The FIR was registered against Kathawachak Mani Yadav and his associate Sant Kumar Yadav. They have been accused of misleading people during religious programmes with the help of a woman, cheating, and using fake Aadhaar cards. It was also alleged that the narrators organised religious events in the village by concealing their caste and identity through forged identification.
A woman also accused the Kathawachaks of exploitation, following which the police invoked several sections under the new BNS Act.
The police have registered the FIR against the Kathawachaks under Sections 299, 318 (4), 319 (2), 336 (3), 338, and 340 (2) of the BNS, and have begun an investigation.
Earlier, four persons accused of assaulting the Kathawachaks were arrested and sent to jail. Now that a case has been registered against the narrators, the matter has taken a two-sided turn. The atmosphere in the village remains tense, with the administration closely monitoring every development. The incident has triggered political reactions across UP.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, coming out in support of the Kathawachaks, castigated the BJP government and held it responsible for the attack on the religious narrators.
He said, “BJP supporters must have attacked the Kathawachaks. It is a well-planned conspiracy. But such attacks cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. I strongly oppose it.” Yadav warned that if the government fails to conduct a fair investigation, the Samajwadi Party workers will take to the streets in protest.