No weekly fair at Fagu Baba's shrine as Section 144 imposed
Gorakhpur: Authorities have prohibited the weekly fair at the 105-year-old Fagu Baba's shrine in Badliya village under the Itwa police station following objections raised by former BJP MLA Raghvendra Pratap Singh.
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The move came after Singh claimed that the site is not a Sufi dargah but the samadhi (tomb) of a Hindu man named Fagu Prasad. The former MLA alleged that occult practices and monetary exploitation were taking place at the shrine where women from outside the region would stay for extended periods. "We had informed the administration. They took the right steps and we are satisfied," Singh said, adding that they had planned to recite the Hanuman Chalisa at the site on Thursday.
However, after the announcement of recital of the Hanuman Chalisa by Singh, heavy police force was deployed at the spot on Thursday morning.
SDM, Dumariyaganj, Sanjeev Dixit imposed
to prevent gatherings. "Based on police and CO Itwa's reports, it was found that exorcism-like activities were being conducted regularly. The land also falls under charagah (pasture) category and legal action will be taken," Dixit stated.
Meanwhile, sitting MLA Saiyada Khatoon strongly objected to the curb orders imposed by the administration. She said: "The shrine is a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity. I will collect all legal documents related to the dargah and move court if required. People's faith is attached to the place, especially women, who gather here every Thursday. I will fight for their belief."
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