Day curfew lifted in Rajouri

Day curfew was lifted in Rajouri town today following improvement in the situation even as dialogue between the two communities was on to restore calm in the trouble-torn area.

"We have lifted curfew from 8 am in the border town in view of improvement in the situation," Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri GA Khwaja said, adding night curfew would remain in force for the time being.

"No untoward incident has been reported from anywhere in the district so far and the situation is under control," he said.

In view of improvement in the situation, the authorities had relaxed curfew for eight-hour yesterday.

To restore normalcy in the town, leaders of the two communities met here in the presence of Industry and Commerce Minister Surjeet Singh Slathia and Minister of State for Power Shabir Khan. Initially, they met the Ministers separately and then collectively.

Senior police and civil officials were also present at the meeting.

The minorities insisted on arrest of the persons involved in attack on their religious Bhairav procession before opening their shops. The Ministers assured them that law will take its course as FIRs have been registered.

The minorities didn’t open their shops during curfew relaxation demanding immediate arrest of those, who instigated and attacked their religious procession.

"Several meetings with leaders of both the communities were held to resolve the matter. The religious heads also made appeals to the people to maintain calm," official sources said.

Curfew was clamped on the town on last Wednesday after some unidentified persons pelted stones at a religious procession, prompting security personnel to burst tear gas shells to disperse them.

The stone-hurlers were protesting against VHP national working president Praveen Togadia’s recent remarks, which, they alleged, had hurt sentiments of a particular community.

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Curfew relaxed for 8 hours in Rajouri

With improvement in situation in Rajouri township, the authorities relaxed the curfew for eight hours today from 0900 hours to 1700 hours. The relaxation in curfew this morning was given after the situation in the town remained peaceful for last 24 hours and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere. During the curfew relaxation hours, the situation also remained peaceful and the district administration held meetings with the civil society members to resolve the issue amicably between them.

Meanwhile, the parleys are going on between the two communities informally to restore peace and total normalcy in the area and the district administration is also keeping a close watch on the situation.

According to Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, G A Khawaja the situation is limping back to normal in the troubled town, which remained under curfew for last six days. He said no untoward incident was reported during the curfew relaxation period today and some business community members also opened their shops in the town.

He said the MoS Power, Shabir Ahmed Khan, also visited the town and Minister of Industries and Commerce, Surjit Singh Salathia is visiting the town tomorrow to assess the situation. The administration, will also organize a meeting of the representatives of two communities tomorrow, he added.

However reports said that the members of minority community did not open the shops and business establishments during the curfew relaxation period also.

Meanwhile, the leaders of both communities refused to meet the Minister and held the joint meeting on their own for restoration of peace in the town. The initiative of restoring peace was taken by the leaders of two communities in view of the examination of the children.

The issue was raised by BJP Legislative Party leader, Jugal Kishore Sharma and MLA West Prof Chaman Lal Gupta in Assembly today as they wanted to know that was the Government going to send a Ministers delegation to the town. However the Speaker, Mohammed Akbar Lone informed the House that the delegation will visit if the local administration thinks the situation is conducive for that.

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Curfew continues for 3rd day in Rajouri

Indefinite curfew continued for the third consecutive day today in the border town of Rajouri following the eruption of communal tension prompting the administration to impose indefinite curfew to prevent further clashes in the area. However, administration today gave one-hour relaxation this evening in two different localities of the town.

Meanwhile, administration made several reconciliation efforts to pacify the matter to restore peace and tranquility in the Rajouri town but could not reach at a settlement point as the leaders of the both the communities were adamant on their demand of arresting of ring leaders of the other community.

Administration gave one hour relaxation in two localities during evening from 6.00 PM to 7.00 PM on the third day of indefinite curfew in the town. The relaxation which was given in the localities included Gujjar Mandi and Jawahar Nagar while whole of the trouble-torn old Rajouri town was under complete curfew on the third consecutive day without any relaxation.

However, no untoward incident was reported from the areas which were given curfew relaxation. Meanwhile, sources said, a deputation of Sanatan Dharam Sabha called on DIG Poonch–Rajouri range on his invitation in an effort to sort out the matter but it did not yield any fruit as the members of the Sabha were adamant on their demand to arrest main leaders of the particular community.

Police as a precautionary measure had imposed a curfew in the town on Thursday after some unidentified persons pelted stones at a religious procession, prompting security personnel to lob tear gas shells to disperse them. The stone-pelters were protesting against a recent remark of VHP international president Praveen Togadia, which they claimed had hurt the sentiments of a particular community. A case was registered by police in this connection.

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Fresh Tension in Rajouri

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curfew defied at 3 places

Curfew was defied at three places by the majority community as one of the processions taken out after Friday prayers at Kheora turned violent and clashed with police on outskirts of Rajouri district leading to fresh tension in the town prompting administration to go ahead with curfew for third consecutive day today.

People from majority community took out processions at various places across twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch protesting remarks of Vishwa Hindu Parishad national working president Praveen Togadia and alleged biased role of administration in dealing with the situation.

Deputy Commissioner-cum District Magistrate, Rajouri GA Khwaja said the situation didn’t warrant any relaxation in curfew, which continued for third day today within Municipal limits of Rajouri. He added all senior officers of the district would review the situation tomorrow morning at 10 am before taking a decision on giving any relaxation in curfew.

Tension erupted at Kheora, the site of new District Hospital when the youths from majority community started taking out a march after Friday prayers shouting slogans against Praveen Togadia and district administration. Police asked the processionists to disperse peacefully but they subjected the cops to heavy stone pelting.

Police and para-military personnel subjected the protesters to mild lathicharge. The ding dong battles between the two sides continued for half an hour after which the mob dispersed. Police have taken five persons into preventive custody for leading and instigating the mob to take out procession after Friday prayers and pelt stones on police and para-military personnel.

Situation remained tense in Kheora but it was under control, SSP Rajouri Vijay Singh Samyal said.

The District Magistrate maintained that there was no curfew in Kheora as it didn’t fall within the Municipal limits of Rajouri.

People defied curfew at Broian Wali Masjid and Jamia Masjid in the heart of Rajouri town to offer Friday prayers. The people didn’t stop despite being asked not to come out of their houses. However, the people at both these places dispersed peacefully after the prayers.

The DC Rajouri said the people didn’t move in groups and proceeded to the Mosques one by one.

Official sources said police and para-military personnel had been deployed in full strength outside all the places of religions in Rajouri town and outskirts to prevent any untoward incident and defiance of curfew.

"Barring Kheora incident, situation passed off peacefully in entire Rajouri district’’, they said, adding that authorities were keeping a strict vigil in all sensitive areas to prevent any fresh trouble.

Asserting that there had been no meetings between the two communities so far to resolve the issue and defuse tension, the Deputy Commissioner Rajouri said that the administration has asked leaders of both the communities to open channels of talks and come to them for formally arranging a meeting so that tempers cooled down and curfew was lifted.

"So far such a situation has not emerged’’, Khwaja said, adding the authorities too wanted the situation to cool down before giving any relaxation in curfew.

He added that authorities have also opened communication channels with both the communities and wanted to create a platform for a common meeting with their representatives to restore peace and calm in Rajouri, which reeled under curfew for third consecutive day today.

People from majority community also took out processions at Manjakote, Budhal, Darhal, Thanna Mandi and Kandi in Rajouri district and Mandi in Poonch district besides various other places of the two districts after Friday prayers. They shouted slogans against Togadia for his remarks against majority community and the administration for what they called inept handling of the situation.

Processions at all these places dispersed peacefully.

Curfew was clamped in Rajouri on Wednesday evening after Bhairav procession taken out by the minorities on Holi festival was attacked for second time at City Chowk, Rajouri by the majority community in protest against Togadia’s remarks made in a meeting of the VHP on March 4.

Authorities said in view of tense situation a meeting couldn’t be arranged between the two communities as neither side was coming forward to take initiative of breaking the stalemate.

The DC Rajouri said they have kept Army stand-by. The Army has said that they were already in readiness in view of militancy in the district and would be available as and when required by the civil administration to maintain law and order.

Sources described situation in entire Rajouri town and outskirts as ‘very tense’, which didn’t warrant any relaxation in curfew.

They said both the communities were agitated. While the majority community was up in arms against Praveen Togadia’s remarks, the minorities have resented the attack on their annual religious Bhairav procession twice.

Police have detained nearly 20 persons in connection with clashes after attack on Bhairav processions followed by stoning on police and para-military. While some of the arrests were preventive, others have been made formally.

Meanwhile, making a statement in the Legislative Assembly on Rajouri situation, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said Praveen Togadia made provocative and inflammatory remarks in a meeting organized by Dharam Raksha Nidhi in Rajouri on March 4. A FIR was registered against Togadia under No. 92/2012 and Section 153-A RPC.

Mr Sagar said on March 5, Muslims took a protest rally against Togadia’s speech and raised objectionable slogans at City Chowk.

"On March 6, a Jhanki procession was taken out by Sanatan Dharam Sabha led by Dinesh Sharma. The Muslims also took out a procession and both came across each other. Saner elements from both sides prevailed and police also intervened. However, some youths pelted stones on the procession from roof top. Police used teargas shells. The DC and SSP Rajouri rushed to the spot and controlled the situation’’, he added.

Mr Sagar said on March 7, Hindus take out Holi Processions organized by Sanatan Dharam Sabha to Bus Stand and raised objectionable slogans. There were counter slogans by the Muslims. The jhanki procession was stoned by the mischievous elements at Town Hall, he said, adding 11 persons have been arrested so far.

Asserting that no one will be allowed to disturb peace, Mr Sagar said the IGP Jammu has also reached the spot and adequate deployment has been made to keep the situation under control.

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