Kasganj: People were using my name to incite violence, says man declared 'dead'

Upadhyaya said that he was not even present in the town when the violence broke out.

Upadhyaya said that he was not even present in the town when the violence broke out. ANI Photo

KASGANJ: Rahul Upadhyay, a man rumoured to have been killed in the Kasganj violence, surfaced on Tuesday and trashed reports of his death. The 24-year-old said he came to know about rumours of his death through his friends. "One of my friends informed me about rumors on the social media about me getting killed during the violence. I had gone to my village and am absolutely fine," Upadhyay said. The news of his death in Kasganj clashes had gone viral on social media, fuelling anger among the people of the riot-hit town. Upadhyaya said that he was not even present in the town when the violence broke out. “I realised there were people who were using me to try and instigate further violence. The narrative was about Hindus being killed and I reached out to police and district administration. Eventually, I got through,” Upadhyay told the Indian Express. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said strict action will be taken against the perpetrators of violence in Western Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj town. Speaking to the media on communal clashes in Kasganj, Adityantha said those spreading anarchy will not be spared. "Government will not tolerate any kind of corruption or anarchy in the state and strict action will be taken against anyone who indulges in such acts of violence," Adityanath said.