Tension in village over ‘Jalabhishek’ rumour

Mukesh Tandon
Tribune News Service
Sonepat, August 2
Tension prevailed at Malikpur village in Sonepat after rumours spread that no Dalit would be allowed to perform ‘Jalabhishek’, a ritual offering water on Lord Shiva’s Linga, at a temple on the occasion of Sawan Shivratri on Friday.
As the matter reached the police, a panchayat was organised in the village on Thursday evening. All villagers performed ‘Jalabhishek’ peacefully today amid police security even as those behind the rumours could not be identified.
After the matter came to light, village sarpanch Vikram approached the police and lodged a complaint. ACP Sandeep Dhankar along with Inspector Devender Singh, the SHO at Murthal police station, soon reached the village and convened the panchayat.
The ACP warned the rumour-mongers of strict action and also appealed to the villagers to maintain harmony. As a precautionary measure, several police personnel were deployed in the village on Shivratri. The sarpanch said the trigger behind the tension was a rumour and establishing its source appeared to be difficult. He said the panchayat was convened and the matter resolved. “Peace and harmony continue to prevail now,” he said. Dhankar too said the matter had been sorted out.