There has been a sense of terror in Leicester, England after communal riots erupted, resulting in mass violence against the Indian community in the city. It all started when a group of Hindu youths from the Indian community was rejoicing after India’s victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
Enraged at this, the guy started denigrating the Indian flag after first identifying himself as a Muslim from Pakistan. He was stopped several times, but each time it fell short, and the Indian community members finally beat him up.
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It eventually emerged that the individual who had disrespected the Indian flag was neither a Muslim nor Hindu community member, as per India Today. But the videos of the altercation soon went viral on social media.
On September 4, a group of Muslim students who were upset about the event attacked several of these Hindu boys who were headed to Ganesh Puja.
Everything came to a boil when 200 Hindus protested against the violence against their community on September 17. Muslims also confronted them, and outside the Shivalaya Mandir on Belgrave Road in Leicester, both factions engaged in conflict. The Muslim side then set fire to the temple banners, severely damaging a window.
Communally charged protests are now happening in many parts of the UK
Since then, this communal tension has become a worldwide headline as it all happened when many world leaders were in the UK for the deceased Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. Police have now detained many suspected ignitors of the incidents and released lots of warnings, but still, it goes beyond Leicester and is now in Birmingham.
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Similar communally charged protests are now happening in many parts of the UK, which may flare up communal tensions in the future.
Not only UK entities, but Indians are also enraged by this act of terror against their community. The Indian High Commission expressed its displeasure with the violence and brought it up with the authorities. But not many celebrities talked about this incident as it has a communal flavor.
However, filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri continuously reacted to this incident and brought up every update related to it on his social media platforms. And one of his incident-related updates, which talks about the high-police presence during the Hindu festivals, sparked so much debate on various social media platforms. Vivek Agnihotri also reacted to it.
Vivek Agnihotri slammed the UK Police for their heavy police presence during Hindu festivals in order to protect Hindus
Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri tweeted a tweet on Friday that was allegedly sent by the East Leicester Police days after clashes between Hindus and Muslims broke out during a recent cricket match between India and Pakistan.
The filmmaker shared the alleged tweet in which the police appeared to have made sure that there was a significant police presence throughout the Navratri and Diwali celebrations for the security of the Hindu community. Upon quoting the tweet, he wrote,
“Who had thought that a day will come when Hindu community will need police protection to celebrate their most inclusive festivals? This is evidence enough that the enemy is around us and the threat is real. #LeicesterHindusAttacked”
Who had thought that a day will come when Hindu community will need police protection to celebrate their most inclusive festivals? This is evidence enough that the enemy is around us and the threat is real. #LeicesterHindusAttacked https://t.co/U52kOuMa68
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 23, 2022
His tweet eventually went viral on various social media platforms and sparked another debate about the efficiency of the UK police in managing law and order. Many people criticized the UK Police for this circular for highlighting their inability to restrain the rioters.
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Following the violent clashes, the UK police made 47 arrests; one 20-year-old male was sentenced to 10 months in jail after pleading guilty to possessing an offensive weapon during the disturbances. As of now, Leicester is at peace. But no one knows when the peace will be broken because the main instigators are still at large.
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