VADODARA: Four persons were killed and 22 injured in violence caused by the demolition of a dargah by local authorities in Fatehpura here on Monday.

An indefinite curfew was clamped in six areas as trouble spread and threatened to take a communal turn. Police reinforcements were rushed from Ahmedabad and other towns.

In the evening, police described the situation as tense but under control.

Minister of State for Home Amit Shah said it was not communal violence but a clash between police and Municipal Corporation staff, on one side, and Muslim residents who objected to the demolition of the dargah, on the other. The structure was blocking a road that the Corporation had taken up for expansion. The incident threatened to take a communal turn with two incidents of stabbing reported, including one from a neighbouring locality.

Trouble started when a Corporation team went with police in the afternoon to demolish the dargah of Sayed Sarsiddin Baba to widen the road. Residents claim that the dargah near the Champaneri gate is more than 300 years old.

Residents' objection

Objecting to the demolition, the residents threw stones at the municipal staff and police. The police lathicharged a mob and fired teargas shells to disperse it. When their efforts failed, police opened fire resulting in the death of two persons and injuries to 14 persons. At least eight others, including police and municipal staff, were injured in stone throwing.

Curfew was clamped in the area, the dargah was demolished and the road widened.

As two stabbing incidents were reported from Fatehpura and the neighbouring Varasia, police extended the curfew to five more areas — Panigate, Vadi, Navapura, Raopura and Karelibagh — as a precautionary measure.

Mayor Sunil Solanki said the demolition of unauthorised structures had been going on for a fortnight to widen roads. He said nearly 1,500 illegal structures had been removed. More than a dozen religious places of different communities had been removed. At many places the members of different communities volunteered to remove the obstructions. In Fatehpura, three meetings had been held with representatives of the Muslim residents but they had not volunteered to remove the dargah, Mr. Solanki said. The road needed to be widened to accommodate increasing traffic.

Municipal Commissioner R.K. Pathak said that as in all other cases due notice was issued to the trustees of the dargah for its removal but they failed to respond.

He said the demolition of unauthorised structures would continue despite the disturbances. Director-General of Police P.C. Pande, who took charge on Sunday, said he had received advice from the Centre for rushing police reinforcements, but added that it would not be required now as the State police were able to deal with the situation. He said there was no communal violence and the situation was under control.

Monday marked the 47th Foundation Day of the State of Gujarat, which was created on May 1, 1960 by bifurcating the erstwhile Bombay Presidency. Chief Minister Narendra Modi visited Porbandar in the morning as part of the `Gujarat Gaurav Diwas' celebrations.

Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Arjun Modhvadia, while blaming the Government for mishandling the situation, demanded a judicial inquiry into the Vadodara incident.

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