BJP workers clashed with the police at Kanth in Moradabad
Blaring police sirens with patrol teams on bikes is a common sight and sound now in Akbadpur Chedri, a non-descript village, 40 kilometres away from Moradabad in western Uttar Pradesh.
Overnight this area has turned into a troubled spot. It saw clashes between the police and neighbouring villagers of Kanth on Friday.
But just three kilometres away at Akbarpur village the sound of rubber bullets fired in the air did not reach. The village, which is the epicentre of tension in the area, was still on the surface, but simmering within - all because of a loudspeaker at a temple.
As we approach the temple at Akbarpur village, we come across Hoshiyarnath. He is a mahant at this temple where 70 families of the Jatav community who inhabit this village, come to pray.
Mid-June a new loudspeaker was installed in the temple. But within a week district authorities pulled the plug and took it down. They said a certain faction of the villagers had filed a complaint.
The Jatavs protested and asked, when their Muslim neighbours can have loudspeakers on their religious structures, why can't they?
"We had a loudspeaker here for 15 years. We got a new one in June but the authorities took it down forcibly," said Hoshiyarnath.
Arjun Kumar, another Jatav villager said, "We were playing songs related to aarti during Shivratri. We had agreed we won't play them during namaaz or aazaan. But people went to the tehsil and protested and took down our loud speakers."
But villagers from the Muslim community, who make up 80% of the village, disagree with their claims.
Just a few metres ahead of the temple is a mosque, where we meet Mohammad Shakeel.
Shakeel said it was not the decibel level, but the timing of the loud speaker installation, which caused this dispute.
"Ramzaan was starting, we were worried. These people just put on the loud speaker and go to sleep, we were all getting disturbed. The loud speaker has not been around forever. It only came in June. They were starting a new trend so we did not like it."
But matters only got worse when it took a political turn, as the Jatavs are being supported by local BJP workers in their protest. There was a protest end-June when Jatav villagers led by BJP workers clashed with police which led to a lathi charge. They claim, many were taken into police custody. Some have allegedly not returned home for a week.
Only yesterday, the BJP called a mahapanchayat in neighbouring Kanth village, led by Sangeet Som, who had been arrested last year for making inflammatory speeches ahead of Muzaffarnagar riots. But he did not get a chance to take the mike this time, as District authorities opposed the mahapanchayat and debarred leaders including Mr Som from entering the village.
But Jatavs here complain that they have no one else to turn to, as the Akhilesh Yadav-led UP government has turned a deaf ear to their grievances and apparently they have been abandoned by their Dalit leaders.
"No BSP leader has ever come here. The BJP has been coming here for the past one year," said Mangal Nath.
For the BJP, it is more than just a loud speaker. The BJP MP from Moradabad Sarvesh Kumar was the one who visited Akbarpur himself after winning his seat and had gifted the loudspeaker to the Jatav temple, symbolically sounding off the BJP's triumphant tune in the area. As per sources, the local MLA, now a Samajwadi Party supporter, wanted to silence it forever.
But caught in between this political noise, are villagers, who had been coexisting in peace for decades, till now.