Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International service: Hindustan Times reported that violent clashes in "Haldwani" of Uttarakhand state due to protests against the destruction of a Masjid, which the Indian government says were built illegally, killed at least four people. More than 250 people, including 100 policemen, have been injured.

 

Indian officials said on Friday that the clashes were predictable.

 

According to IRNA, after the residents of this area set fire to vehicles and a police station and threw stones at the police forces, the state authorities imposed a curfew.

 

Most of the people admitted to the hospital were policemen and municipal workers who participated in the destruction of the local school and the mosque that was built next to it.

 

The state government of Uttarakhand confirmed that a security alert has been issued across the state and internet services have been suspended following the continued violence. The government has also ordered the closure of all schools and universities in the region.

 

As the violence escalated, all shops were closed in Haldwani, the area where the school is located.

 

Vandana Singh, the judge of this district, said in a press conference: The videos of this incident show that the police force and the relevant department did not cause any conflict or damage. He also said that the accused are being identified through CCTV.

 

Singh said: This school and mosque were built in the privacy of government land and it was an encroachment on public property, which was being demolished by the order of the Supreme Court.

 

Haldwani police chief Prahlad Meena also said: The school and mosque were built illegally on government land and their demolition was done with the presence of police and state security forces in accordance with the court order.

 

As the demolition began, tensions started with protesters setting fire to several cars, including a police car, and the district judge ordered shooting.

 

On Thursday, 19 Delhi, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dehmi held a meeting in Dehradun to review Haldwani's situation. He asked everyone to keep calm and asked the authorities to deal with the "factors of chaos".

 

Today (Friday) he also wrote on X social network: The police have been asked to identify the criminals and take action to arrest them.

 

This is not the first clash of protesting Muslims with police forces in India, but religious and religious tensions in this country have been increasing in recent years, especially with insults and harsh treatment of Muslims and their holy places.