A group of Kanwaris vandalized a small car after it apparently hit a ‘Kanwar’ on the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, police said on Thursday.
The incident took place near Khader Chowk in Borkazi town on Wednesday evening when a group of Kanwaris, including Naveen, Prince and Navneet, were returning from Haridwar carrying holy water for ‘Kanwaris’, according to a report by the news agency. PTI.
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The car hit Kanwars
According to station house officer (SHO) Manvendra Singh Bhatti, the minivan allegedly hit one of the ‘kanwars’, enraging the pilgrims, who allegedly vandalized the vehicle.
He added that the police rushed to the scene after receiving information about the accident and the situation was under control.
The canaries later resumed their march, while the police confiscated the small car and opened an investigation into the accident.
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Traffic was briefly affected on the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway
Traffic on the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway was briefly affected due to the commotion, but later returned to normal, police added.
The annual Kanwar Yatra is scheduled to begin on July 30 this year and end on August 11. However, some devotees begin their pilgrimage before the yatra officially begins.
Uttarakhand Police and UP Police are gearing up for Kanwar Mela 2026
Ahead of the upcoming Shravan Kanwar Mela 2026, the Uttarakhand Police held a high-level review meeting on Thursday to assess security and logistical preparations for the annual pilgrimage, ANI reported.
According to a statement issued by the Uttarakhand Police Headquarters, the meeting was chaired by Director General of Police (DGP) Deepam Seth at the police headquarters.
Reviewing the preparations, the DGP said that the Kanwar Mela is a huge and very sensitive religious event. He said that ensuring safety of pilgrims, smooth movement, effective traffic management and maintenance of law and order are the top priorities of Uttarakhand Police.
He directed all officers to complete preparations in advance and coordinate closely with relevant departments and neighboring countries.
Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Krishna also directed all district police chiefs and senior field officers to ensure that the upcoming Kanwar Yatra is conducted from July 30 and other festivals with the dual objective of ‘zero incidents’ and ‘zero incidents’, while ordering a week-long statewide drive to trace active criminals found missing during police verification, HT reported earlier.