Tension gripped Uttar Pradesh's Shravasti district Friday morning when a group of Muslims, after finding pieces of meat lying inside a mosque, attacked public vehicles, according to police.
The group blockaded the busy Shravasti-Bahraich route for hours and even tried to torch some buses and trucks in various parts of the district, 230 km from Lucknow, police said. However, no one was injured.
"Taking into account the series of protests by minority community members, additional security has been deployed. The situation is tense, but under control," district police chief Subash Dubey told IANS on phone.
"We are trying to nab those who attempted to disrupt peace by putting meat pieces inside the mosque. Those involved in the incident that could have triggered communal tension will be booked under the National Security Act (NSA)," he added.
According to police, a group of Muslims first noticed pieces of meat outside the gates of the mosque. When they entered the premises, they found more such pieces lying there.
As news spread like wildfire, around 300 Muslims assembled at the mosque and decided to protest, demanding immediate arrest of those involved in the incident, police said.