The Hindu : Other States / Rajasthan News : Prohibitory orders clamped in Bhilwara

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Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005

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Prohibitory orders clamped in Bhilwara

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR, MARCH 15. The situation in Bhilwara town in southern Rajasthan, which witnessed communal violence following the murder of a Bajrang Dal activist on Friday last, continues to remain tense. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal workers blocked the Bhilwara-Beawar road for six hours today to protest against the lack of progress in the investigation into the alleged killing of another activist early this month.

While a Bajrang Dal activist, Raju Bairwa, was killed in the town allegedly by some persons of the minority community on Friday, an instructor in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh `shakha', Satyanarain Sharma, was found dead in the nearby Karjalia village on March 1. Today's protest was focused on Satyanarain's alleged murder with the activists claiming that the culprits were being shielded.

The Sangh Parivar activists blocked traffic at Haripura square - 28 km from Bhilwara - for about six hours and raised slogans against the failure of police to nab the murderers. The blockade was lifted only after a message from the Home Minister, Gulab Chand Kataria, assuring his personal attention to the matter was passed on to the agitationists.

Prohibitory orders enforced over the week-end in Bhilwara will continue till March 21 even as an incident of a Maulvi being stabbed in the town on Sunday has heightened the tension. The clergyman was hospitalised and was now stated to be out of danger.

The State Government has given a financial assistance of Rs. 1-lakh to the next of kin of the slain Bajrang Dal activist from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. His body was cremated on Saturday amid heavy police presence.

The VHP and Bajrang Dal organised a bandh in the town over the week-end to protest against the killing of Raju Bairwa. Activists of the two organisations indulged in arson and set a house and several shops on fire. They pelted stones on policemen when the latter tried to disperse them.

The Maulvi, identified as Mohammed Imran, was attacked early on Sunday morning when he was going to a mosque in a residential colony to lead the prayers. He was admitted to Mahatma Gandhi Government Hospital in Bhilwara with multiple injuries. Police have not arrested anyone in connection with the incident so far and were still looking for the culprits.

Three persons were arrested in nearby Nasirabad on Saturday on charges of murdering Raju Bairwa. While additional police force from the neighbouring Ajmer, Chittaurgarh and Kota has been deployed in the town, the Inspector General of Police (Law and Order), Navdeep Singh, was camping near the disturbed area.

Additional security force was also deployed in communally sensitive areas such as Gulmandi and Bahla.

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Prohibitory orders clamped in Bhilwara