The Hindu : Two killed in U.P. violence

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 02, 2002

Front Page

Front Page

Two killed in U.P. violence
By J.P. Shukla

LUCKNOW, MARCH 1. Two persons were killed and several injured in stray incidents of violence reported from various districts of Uttar Pradesh today during the bandh called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in protest against the burning of `Ram sevaks' travelling in the Sabarmati Express at Godhra last Wednesday. The situation in the State was described as tense but peaceful by and large and a strict vigil was being kept on the situation in sensitive areas.

According to the State's Principal Home Secretary, Naresh Dayal, Friday prayers in mosques during the day had passed off peacefully everywhere in the State.

The bandh call received partial response, with 60 to 90 per cent shops and commercial establishments remaining closed. Educational institutions also observed partial closure in some of the towns, Mr. Dayal said. However, the impact of the bandh on traffic movement was minimal.

In Aligarh town, two persons died of gunshot injuries in separate incidents this morning. In the first incident, a complaint was registered against four persons, one of whom had been arrested. The assailants in the second incidents could not be identified immediately. Aligarh district authorities have imposed undeclared curfew and there was no flare-up of the incidents, Mr. Dayal said.

In Mathura, a truck was set ablaze and its driver who sustained 40 per cent burns was rushed to a hospital in Agra.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad supporters tried to force closure of shops at some places, including Lucknow and Varanasi. The police intervened and arrested nearly 150 persons, including a BJP MLA, Suresh Chandra Tiwari, in Lucknow and 40 persons in Lucknow. Miscreants tried to disrupt rail traffic in Muzaffarnagar and Allahabad but police intervention brought the situation under control.

In Ayodhya, security arrangements have been tightened further with the disputed site having been placed under the exclusive charge of the Central Reserve Police. There has been some increase in the number of kar sevaks in the temple town during the past 24 hours but train services have been diverted to prevent VHP activists from reaching there.

According to the railway scheme, trains going to Faizabad from Varanasi would be terminated at Akbar Pur, those from Allahabad would be terminated at Sultanpur and others in Lucknow itself. The long-distance trains passing through Faizabad and Ayodhya would be diverted through Sultanpur-Jaunpur or Raebareli-Pratapgarh with immediate effect.

Barricading of roads leading to Ayodhya continued and everyone entering the town was being frisked. Quick reaction teams of the police have been deployed near the makeshift temple to deal with any ``fidayeen'' attack on the site, Mr. Dayal said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

Shoot orders in many Gujarat towns, toll over 200

Govt. will act tough: PM

No accord unless Govt. allows `puja': VHP

Priority for controlling violence, says Advani

Two killed in U.P. violence

SC stay on syllabi

Bail for Tiger Memon's brother