Shiv Sena leaders apologize for attacking Phagwara Muslims

Phagwara: Shiv Sainiks on Tuesday reached a compromise and had written an apology for attack on the Muslims in Phagwara.

Local Muslim Committee of Phagwara initiated the meeting in a bid to maintain peace, communal harmony and brotherhood.

The Shiv Sena leaders, who were reluctant to the demand, but later agreed and apologized Muslims in presence of Phagwara police and activists of Sikh and Dalit organizations who lend support to the Muslim side during the communal clash.

“We apologize for our mistake of hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslims brethren during our protests from July 20 to 22, 2016 when abuses were hurled on Muslims, their shops were damaged and pelting stones. We also assure that in future we shall not issue any statements or protests which would hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims or any other community,” read the apology signed by 9 Shiv Sainik leaders and other right-wing leaders.

Gurdip Saini, Inderjit Karwal, Happy Bharadwaj and Manish Sood are among those who signed it, a couple of others offered verbal regrets also.

On Friday, July 22, a violent clash broke out after Sena activists reached outside the mosque attacked the Muslims when they were coming out of the mosque after offering afternoon prayers.