Numerous pilgrims taking part in the Kanwar yatra protested on Wednesday in Delhi’s Muslim-dominated Seelampur neighbourhood after learning that one of the Kanwars had received a piece of meat, making the holy Ganga water impure. The Kanwariyas criticised the Kejriwal administration and for almost an hour shut down the roadways in Delhi. The Kanwariyas, who come from Alwar in Rajasthan, are reportedly on a 14-day Kanwar Yatra during which they transport holy Ganga water from Haridwar to the Shiv temple in Alwar. The Kanwariya arrived in Seelampur, a predominantly Muslim area, on July 19 after walking nonstop for seven days. The Seelampur Metro station parking was close to where the Kanwariyas had set their camp.

The Kanwars discovered that someone had thrown a piece of flesh at the Kanwar outside the camp, and the Yatra was stopped as they made their way back to Alwar. The Kanwariyas held a demonstration, shouted anti-Delhi government and anti-Police chants, and claimed that someone had thrown the meat at the yatra on purpose. They said that the incident had damaged Hindus’ religious feelings. The indignation grew to such a level that Delhi’s traffic was halted for approximately an hour. The Delhi police eventually arrived and attempted to calm the situation.The reports state that the police did not discover any meat near the camp and that they believe a dog may have dragged the meat there.

The police have promised to look into the matter thoroughly, and they are already working looking through the CCTV tape to verify the allegations. Additionally, the Police have informed us that the suspect would be apprehended quickly. The Police also organised for a car to bring the Kanwariyas back to Haridwar so they could obtain holy water because the Kanwar was thought to be unlucky due to the attack. With the assistance of the Police, the Kanwariyas will get the holy water once more and travel to Seelampur. The Kanwariyas must walk for the following six days in order to be in Alwar, Rajasthan, by the evening of July 25.

“We were passing through Seelampur area with Kanwar when a fellow Kanwariya changed the Kanwar from one shoulder to the other and suddenly the piece of meat stuck in the decoration of his Kanwar fell on the road. Although, he cannot say with certainty who threw it and when, but before we entered the Muslim-majority area of Seelampur, all was well and people were welcoming us. But we did not see the same in Delhi”, he said.

 

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