The police tried to control the crowd, but they were outnumbered and overwhelmed.
A shocking video has emerged from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, where policemen are seen waving their batons in the air to control the crowd at a provincial festival where a performance of dancers was organised. The video of the incident went viral on social media and showed people trying to escape the batons of the police. The fair called Jalvihar Mahotsav is an annual event that is organised in Jhansi's Mauranipur. People who gathered there were eager to see the performance, and things quickly got out of control.
Users who posted about the incident on X (formerly Twitter) said as dancers took the stage, the crowd began to push and shove in order to get a better view. Some people started throwing objects at the stage, and the dancers were forced to stop their performance.
They also said that the police tried to control the crowd, but they were outnumbered and overwhelmed. As the crowd began to surge forward, some people started climbing onto the stage. The police then resorted to lathi-charge, using batons to disperse the crowd.
The clip sparked outrage from many people. Some people criticised the police for using excessive force, while others slammed the crowd for their unruly behaviour.
Reacting to the viral video, Jhansi Police said the event was organised on Thursday (October 5) and there were 15,000-20,000 people at the venue. "Due to overcrowding, the barricades put up by the oranisers broke and people fell on each other, due to which some of the attendees received minor injuries. This sparked a fight within the crowd," the police said in a statement on X.
The policemen had to use stroke batons on the ground to scare unruly people away, and the programme finished safely.