Lucknow: The proposed visit by a 42-member British group to the historic Residency to pay homage to their kin who died during the 1857 Indian war of independence (referred to by the British as sepoy mutiny) may be abandoned as the Britons got a hostile reception on arriving in Lucknow. Protests were staged by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliated organisations well before their arrival and spilled over to the Lucknow railway station, where the visitors arrived by a train from Gwalior on Monday evening. A bottle filled with dirty water and garbage was flung at the bus carrying the British group from the railway station to their hotel. On Tuesday morning, Bajrang Dal men forced their way into the Residency cemetery and attempted to deface and damage the graves of the visitors' forefathers.

"However, a thick security net around them saved the situation from taking an ugly turn," said District Magistrate Chandra Bhanu. "Though we have no objection to their visit as ordinary tourists, we can't take any chances and expose them to any kind of risk under the prevailing volatile circumstances," he emphasised. He said the delegation had been advised to keep away from the Residency and other sensitive historical sites.

"The group leader has clarified that they have no celebration on their agenda, but the protestors have created such an atmosphere that even common citizens tend to believe the canard spread by them," Bhanu added. A large contingent of cops, including the riot police, has been detailed under the command of an additional District Magistrate to ensure the safety of the Britons, who were holed up in their hotel.

On Monday, BJP activists led by prominent leader Lalji Tandon staged a demonstration outside the Residency, which became the centre-stage of the 1857 battle that left thousands dead. About 200 graves of those who died in action are still preserved in Lucknow by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and the visitors wanted to pay their homage at the cemetery.

The delegation is led by Sir Mark Allen Havelock, the great-great grandson of Major General Havelock, who was responsible for crushing the revolt by Indian sepoys. A descendant of Maj Gen Henry Lawrence who died while defending the Residency is also a part of the group that insists they are here to simply commemorate the death of their kin 150 years ago. Well-known author Rosie Llewellyn-Jones - widely regarded as an authority on Lucknow's history - is a member of the group.

Former Lucknow University vice chancellor Roop Rekha Verma told reporters: "I see no valid reason behind imposition of any kind of restriction on free movement of foreigners visiting the city as tourists, as long as they do not have any other agenda that might hurt the sentiments of common people in the context of India's freedom struggle." She added: "And now that clarifications have been issued on their behalf that they don't intend to hold any kind of celebrations in honour of those who died in India's first war of independence, they should be allowed to go to the Residency and offer prayers at the graves of their kin."

Manoj Dixit, a professor at the Institute of Public Administration, was highly critical of the BJP. "The attitude of the BJP on this issue is no different to that of the Taliban; they are behaving exactly with the same kind of illogical intolerance," he remarked. "If the BJP were to go by this logic then with what face do they demand maintenance and upkeep of gurdwaras and Hindu temples in Pakistan? And how would they like it if Indians were barred from visiting the tomb of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in Myanmar?" Dixit asked. "I see a political design behind BJP's drama," he alleged. (IANS)