UP: Fatehpur mausoleum incident prompts sweeping ban on gatherings

The Fatehpur district administration in Uttar Pradesh has moved to impose sweeping prohibitory orders, banning all gatherings, processions, and protests linked to a mausoleum vandalised by a right-wing Hindutva mob.

Officials confirmed the decision on Thursday, citing intelligence inputs that pointed to a possible mobilisation on 16 August — a date that coincides with Janmashtami celebrations, raising fears of potential confrontation. Media entry has been banned in the area, and locals have been barred from speaking to outsiders.

The measures come just days after a violent confrontation on 11 August, when members of Hindutva right-wing groups forced their way into a centuries-old mausoleum in Abu Nagar, hoisted saffron flags on it, and reportedly performed Hindu rituals inside and vandalised graves in the presence of security forces. The mob also declared the site to be a Hindu temple. This incident was followed by stone-pelting and clashes with members of the Muslim community, as per media reports.

Authorities acted quickly to repair the vandalised portions, but the symbolic damage — and the tensions it rekindled — remain far harder to mend.

As of now, no arrests have been made, though according to a PTI report, police arrested city Congress president Arif alias Gudda and several of his supporters for holding a protest demanding the arrest of the vandals.

PTI also reported that on 13 August, police booked more than 150 people, 10 of them identified by name, for damaging public property and disturbing the peace. The 10 named in the FIR are reportedly Dharmendra Singh (Bajrang Dal), Abhishek Shukla (BJP), Ajay Singh (district panchayat member), Devnath Dhakad (BJP), Vinay Tiwari (municipal councillor), Pushpraj Patel, Rithik Pal (BJP), Prasoon Tiwari (BJP), Ashish Trivedi and Pappu Chauhan (Samajwadi Party).

For many residents, the sight of police barricades, drone surveillance, and Quick Response Teams patrolling the area has evoked memories of earlier communal flashpoints elsewhere in the country — from the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition to more recent confrontations over religious sites in Mathura and Varanasi, both in UP. Each incident, though unique in its specifics, has shown how swiftly local disputes can escalate into broader sectarian divisions if left unchecked.

Superintendent of police Anoop Kumar Singh said 160 people, including 10 named individuals, have been booked under charges of damaging public property and disturbing the peace. Reinforcements from neighbouring Kaushambi and Prayagraj districts have been deployed, and a flag march was carried out on Monday to calm frayed nerves.

District magistrate Ravindra Singh and SP Anoop Kumar Singh issued a joint press note warning that “any attempt to hold demonstrations, spread inflammatory speeches, or post provocative content on social media will invite the strictest legal action”. Officials stressed that this zero-tolerance approach is aimed at preventing further violence in the days leading up to and following Janmashtami.

A one-kilometre radius around the mausoleum has been sealed off, with multiple layers of police barricades. Security arrangements now include continuous CCTV and drone monitoring to maintain an airtight cordon. Authorities say these measures will remain in place until after the festival concludes.

In public appeals, the administration has urged residents to maintain communal harmony and take disputes to the courts rather than the streets. “We must not let the mistakes of the past repeat themselves,” a senior official said, reflecting a widely held concern that provocations — once unleashed — can spiral beyond anyone’s control.

Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak has also weighed in, calling the government’s stance unequivocal. “The guilty will not be spared,” he said, promising accountability for Monday’s violence.

For now, Fatehpur remains tense but calm. The heavy police presence is both a reassurance and a reminder — that peace, in situations like this, is fragile and must be guarded with vigilance.

With PTI inputs