Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said on Saturday that the loss of lives and damage to property in violence that broke out over the demolition of an illegally-built madrasa in Uttarakhand's Haldwani is very worrying.
She also said the incident could have been prevented if the government was alert.
In a post in Hindi on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said: "The violence in Uttarakhand's Haldwani and the loss of lives and damage to property in the incident is very worrying. If the government, administration and intelligence system were alert, the incident could have been prevented. The government should conduct a high-level investigation and also maintain peace." She also pointed out that the situation in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh is tense and it should be controlled by the government in time.
Meanwhile, curfew was lifted from the outer areas of Haldwani, but it remains in force in the Banbhoolpura area that witnessed arson and vandalism by a mob over the demolition of the madrasa on Thursday. Five people involved in Thursday's violence have so far been arrested and three FIRs registered, a senior police officer said.
Six rioters were killed in Thursday's violence, officials said. More than 60 people were hurt on Thursday as locals hurled stones and petrol bombs at municipal workers and police, forcing many police personnel to seek refuge in a police station, which the mob then set on fire.
Seven people, including a journalist, were under treatment on Friday at three different hospitals. Three of them were said to be in a serious condition.
