Communal tension grips 2 states

BIHAR UNREST More than 100 people, including cops, have been injured in clashes between two religious groups over the past 10 days

PATNA: Clashes broke out between two religious groups in Bihar’s Munger early on Wednesday as communal tension triggered by violence during a festive procession in Bhagalpur on March 17 spread to seven districts, prompting the authorities to deploy additional policemen and paramilitary troopers to control the situation.

According to the police, more than 100 people, including policemen, have been injured in the violence over the past 10 days and several shops and business establishments set on fire.

The state government, struggling to restore peace, imposed prohibitory orders in some areas and deployed paramilitary and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel to tackle the unrest that broke out during this year’s Ram Navami celebrations. More than 200 people have been arrested so far.

Police said Munger became the latest addition to the list of troubled districts after violence broke out over a controversial song being played and inflammatory slogans shouted at an immersion procession of Chaiti Durga.

A large group had gathered in Munger’s Neelam Chowk thoroughfare in protest and the clashes began when the rally reached there, police said.

People from both sides shot firearms, threw stones and brickbats, and set property and vehicles on fire, police said, estimating that more than 100 rounds of gunshots were fired as the violence engulfed several neighbourhoods in the town. But there are no reports of any death in the firing.

Stones were thrown at policemen deployed to control the flare-up as well as ensure peaceful immersion of the goddess’s

idols, forcing the authorities to order baton-charges and fire warning shots to disperse the mobs. Security forces are carrying out flag marches in sensitive areas.

“I am at one of the troubled spots. It’s calm now,” said Vikas Vaibhav, the Munger range deputy inspector general of police.

In adjoining Jamui district, people at an idol immersion procession clashed with policemen.

Several people, including six policemen, were wounded. “Two policemen were critically wounded,” Jamui superintendent of police (SP) Jagannath Reddy said.