Kurukshetra (Haryana), Mar 22: A minor boy sustained bullet injury, allegedly when a security guard at a ‘Mahayajna’ being conducted here opened fire during an altercation over the quality of food being served, officials said on Saturday.
Enraged over the incident, a large number of brahmins who came to perform rituals at the yajna blocked the Kurukshetra-Pehowa road.
Police said efforts are on to resolve the issue amicably.
The Mahayajna is being organised at Keshav Park in Kurukshetra by Shri Shri 1008 Swami Hari Om of Tripura Shaktipeeth, Manikut. A large number of brahmins have arrived to perform rituals at the days-long event.
According to police, on Saturday, some of the brahmins complained of the poor quality of food being served to them. This led to an altercation between the brahmins and Swami Hari Om. The brahmins alleged that Hari Om’s security guard fired at them, they said.
The enraged brahmins then ransacked posters of the event and allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, police said.
According to Superintendent of Police (SP) Varun Singla, 16-year-old Ashish Kumar from Lucknow sustained a bullet injury during the firing. He has been taken to hospital and is said to be out of danger.
Another person, identified as Prince from Uttar Pradesh, was injured during the stone-pelting, the SP said.
He said no FIR has been registered yet and efforts are being made to persuade the protesting brahmins who have blocked the Kurukshetra-Pehowa road.
Meanwhile, Swami Hari Om alleged that some “unscrupulous” elements tried to disturb the ‘1008 Kund Yajna’ being performed here for the last four days.
Speaking to media, he said the ‘bhandara’ (kitchen) was being handled by his followers from Kaithal and no complaints were raised in the last four days. On Saturday, a few brahmins suddenly started raising objections about the food and others supported them, causing unrest, he said.
Hari Om said the matter should have been discussed in an amicable manner rather than disrupting the ongoing ‘yajna’.
He added that 700 to 800 brahmins are still continuing to perform the ritual. (PTI)
