Archive · 17 Jan 2026
Badaun police baton-charge injures 12 in procession clash
In a small town in Uttar Pradesh, India, a group of Hindu people were having a morning walk, called a 'prabhat pheri,' to celebrate the start of a special month called Magh.
They wanted to walk through a Muslim neighborhood, but the police stopped them because there was an agreement to take a different route.
The police used sticks to make the group go away, and 12 people got hurt.
Some people think this was done on purpose to cause trouble between Hindus and Muslims before the next big elections.
The police said they used mild force to stop the group, but later let them finish their walk on the old route.
It's not clear if any children were hurt, but an older woman got injured.
The walk usually ends at a temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
A Hindu religious procession in Badaun district, Uttar Pradesh, was stopped by police and paramilitary forces, resulting in a baton-charge that left 12 injured.
The procession, known as a 'prabhat pheri,' was held to celebrate the arrival of the month of Magh and was attempting to take an old route through a Muslim colony.
Police said the procession had been taking an alternative route for the past few years under an agreement, which was suddenly violated on Friday.
A Muslim resident suggested the decision to change the route could be a conspiracy to create communal tensions ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.
The Badaun (Rural) superintendent of police confirmed the use of 'mild force' to disperse the procession and later allowed them to complete it along the old route peacefully.
- Who
- Hindu procession participants, police, and paramilitary forces in Badaun district, Uttar Pradesh
- What
- A clash between a Hindu religious procession and police over a disputed route, resulting in a baton-charge that left 12 injured
- When
- Friday morning
- Where
- Byor Qasimabad in Islamnagar, Badaun district, Uttar Pradesh
- Why
- Dispute over the route of the procession, with villagers attempting to take the old route through a Muslim colony, which was changed a few years ago due to complaints from the Muslim community
- Location
- Byor Qasimabad, Islamnagar, Badaun district, Uttar Pradesh
- Date
- Friday morning
- Injured
- 12
- Procession Type
- Prabhat pheri (morning procession) for Magh month
- Route Dispute
- Old route vs. alternative route agreed upon in recent years
- Police Action
- Baton-charge to disperse the procession
- Procession Length
- 3km, ending at a Shiva temple