Clashes erupt as 'illegal' madrasa demolished in Uttarakhand's Haldwani; shocking videos goes viral (WATCH)

The authorities in Uttarakhand's Haldwani demolished a madrasa believed to have been illegally constructed near the Banbhulpura police station on Thursday.

In a tense and dramatic turn of events, authorities in Uttarakhand's Haldwani carried out the demolition of a madrasa suspected to have been illegally constructed near the Banbhulpura police station. The operation, which took place on Thursday, saw a flurry of activity involving the Municipal Corporation, law enforcement personnel, and angry protesters.

The Municipal Corporation team, led by Municipal Commissioner Pankaj Upadhyay, City Magistrate Richa Singh, and SDM Paritosh Verma, utilized heavy machinery, including a JCB machine, to raze the illegal structure located in Malik's garden under the Banbhulpura area of Haldwani.

However, the demolition did not proceed without resistance. An enraged mob confronted the authorities, pelting stones at the demolition team. In response, the team was compelled to retaliate. The situation escalated further when tear gas shells were fired by the police to disperse the protesters, resulting in injuries to both law enforcement officers and civilians. The wounded were promptly transported to nearby hospitals for medical attention.

The demolition operation was not an impromptu decision but rather a culmination of previous actions taken by the Municipal Corporation. It was mentioned that the Corporation had previously seized three acres of land near the site of the illegal madrasa and namaz place, which had been sealed earlier but was now completely demolished.

The clashes were not confined solely to confrontations between protesters and law enforcement. In a distressing development, local residents also directed their ire towards journalists, pelting them with stones. This prompted a robust response from the police force, led by SSP Nainital Prahlad Meena, who was present at the scene to oversee the situation.