"Poisonous environment created recently, deliberate attempts being made": Congress MP on UP's mosque cover
Mar 15, 2025
Giridih (Jharkhand) [India], March 15 : Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat condemned the violence that erupted in Giridih, Jharkhand, on Saturday, calling the incident "unfortunate." He stated that the government controlled the situation and criticized the mosque cover move in Uttar Pradesh.
Taking a swipe at the Uttar Pradesh government, he remarked, "If you look at UP, when the government says that you should not step out of your house and mosques are being covered, this poisonous environment has been seen only recently."
"Such things are being done by a few people deliberately...This is a matter of concern that a poisonous environment is forming in the country," he added.
Speaking on the clashes in Giridih, Bhagat pointed out that in the past two decades, there have been multiple instances when Jumma Namaz and Holi coincided, yet such incidents had not occurred before.
"I think what happened in Giridih yesterday is very unfortunate, and I condemn it. But the Government has kept everything under control...If you look at the last 20-25 years, there have been 6-7 instances when Jumma Namaz and Holi have fallen on the same day. Never did such an incident occur before," Bhagat said.
He further alleged that certain elements were deliberately trying to create tensions in the country.
"This is a matter of concern. You allege that people are coming from outside, but that is not important. What is important is that if those in power express helplessness and tell you not to step out of your house, then there can be nothing more unfortunate than this," he added.
The Congress leader also warned that incidents like the Giridih violence would continue if law enforcement agencies functioned with bias.
"If those who have to maintain law and order get divided into categories and are biased, then these incidents will occur," he stated.
Meanwhile, the situation in Jharkhand's Giridih district remains peaceful after clashes broke out between two communities during Holi celebrations on Friday, leading to vehicles being torched.
