MP govt sets up police post in village after locals complain of threat from another community
Highlights
- A group of Hindu residents have submitted a memorandum to the district administration
- The Hindu residents in the village have claimed threats from members of a particular community
- No action had been taken despite multiple police complaints, the residents claimed
Hindu residents in Madhya Pradesh's Surana village have alleged harassment by members of a particular community and have threatened to migrate after handing over their properties to the local administration. The incident was reported on Tuesday when a group of Hindu residents in Ratlam district's Surana submitted a memorandum to the district administration claiming they had received threats from members of a particular community, who form 60 per cent of the village's population.
In the memorandum, the villagers have alleged youngsters from certain families had been threatened and beaten up repeatedly in the past two to three years, but no action had been taken despite multiple police complaints.
The aggrieved villagers also said they wanted to hand over their properties to the administration and settle in other places.
Following the incident, pictures on social media showed “makan bikau hai” (house on sale) message written on the walls of several houses in the Madhya Pradesh village.
Wall of a house in MP's Surana village displays message 'makan bikaau hai'
Wall of a house in MP's Surana village displays message 'ghar bikaau hai'
MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra takes note
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra took note of the incident and on Wednesday said a police post has been set up in Surana village. He said a committee, consisting of local residents from both the communities and also officials, has been formed to resolve issues that have created the present situation and asserted action will be taken against criminal elements in the village.
The administration has said anti-social elements were responsible for the situation in the village and maintained members of both communities want to live peacefully.
“On getting the information, the district collector and the superintendent of police (SP) were sent to the village. A temporary police post has been set up in Surana, where a sub-inspector and 10 policemen will be posted. The situation has come about due to some confusion,” Mishra told reporters in Bhopal.
“Action is being initiated against criminal elements of the village and they will be externed from the district,” the minister maintained.
After holding a meeting with the villagers, district collector Kumar Purushottam on Wednesday said views of both the communities were heard during the meeting.
“We will remove all encroachments from government land (in Surana) within a month. Both the communities want to live peacefully. Some incidents occurred in the past two to three years, creating an atmosphere of distrust between the communities,” the collector said.
The present situation was created by some anti-social elements, he said, adding that nobody will be allowed to cause discord and strict action will be taken against people involved in the provocation.
(With inputs from PTI)
