Six kanwariyas allegedly attack school van, smash windscreen

Six kanwariyas on three motorcycles allegedly attacked a school van in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow on Monday after a minor accident, The Indian Express reported. No children were injured.

During the Kanwar Yatra, devotees, called kanwariyas, walk hundreds of kilometres to collect water from the Ganga near Haridwar and carry it back to their home states to offer at temples.

The incident on Monday took place at Charak Crossing in the Chowk area while the van was on its way to drop students at school. One of the motorcycles hit the rear of the vehicle after the van driver applied the brakes, which led to an argument.

The dispute prompted some of the kanwariyas to allegedly damage the van’s rear windshield and side mirror, before they fled.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Shubham Kumar told the newspaper that the police had identified the registration numbers of the three motorcycles using surveillance camera footage and videos of the incident. A case will be registered, he added.

He also denied reports that the devotees had thrown stones at the vehicle after some persons made the claim on social media.

During the pilgrimage, most kanwariyas come from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. This year’s yatra started on Thursday and will conclude on August 11.

Edited by Sara Varghese.