Muzaffarnagar: CRPF jawans deployed to run rescue operations

Smoke billowing from a village in Budhana area prompted the moving cavalcade of officers, jawans of army and paramilitary forces to venture into the village where they found people are trapped in their houses either set on fire or damaged.

The members of dominating community had either set the houses of people who were in minority or damaged and the trapped people were crying for assistance to save their lives. "It was indeed a horrifying sight, which we even did not come across in war time," said a senior army officials who directed his and CRPF jawans to rescue the hapless persons and to shift them to in safer places.

"We rescued members of at least ten families there before advancing in our route," said the officer adding similarly they rescued families in trouble in village Kutba-Kutbi, Laak, Hasoli, Bhaurankala and Barawadi where fierce communal clashes broke out on Sunday.

Meanwhile, district administration too evacuated persons on their request from various villages of Fugana area and shifted to either in their relatives houses in Budhana or in Relief camps of village Jaula.

“Police and jawan of paramilitary forces evacuated families of my sister and relatives from village Soram Goela on their request and escorted them to our home in Budhana on Monday afternoon,” said Dawood Hasan who came to receive his sister Rehana Khatoon and other relative outside Bidhana Kotwali on Monday afternoon.

Similarly, officials evacuated many families on their request from different villages of Fugana and Budhana area who were later shifted in villages Jaula, Loi ,Vigyana, Budhana, Mandwara under safe shelters.

“Many of them who arrived here were staying with people of their respective castes while other have been kept in madarsa and other public places which have been turned into relief camps”, said Gulam Mohammad of Jaula who is also associated with Bhartiya Kisan Union whose leaders Naresh and Rakesh Tikait have been accused of delivering fiery speechs in Mahapanchayat of Sepetember 7 and case has been registered against them along with many BJP Congress leaders.

“ Both communities lived together peacefully and even more than 100 members of other community are living in our village without fear and we are taking care of their safety and security. But clashes in past ten days had sabotaged peace and harmony in the area”, said former pradhan Abdul Gaffar.

Endorsing his views one senior Army officials said that they came across with some persons in troubled villages who extended their full support to members of rival community ensuring their safety and security. "They convinced them not to leave the village and taking their full care with available resources", said the officer on the condition of anonymity.