Kasganj violence: Internet services remain suspended; Police aim to restore normalcy

The police have made 79 arrests till Sunday in connection with the violence that erupted on Friday when a motorcycle rally by the activists of ABVP and VHP was passing through the locality of another community.

Uttar Pradesh DGP Om Prakash Singh said that the situation in rito-hit Kasganj was "under control" and the movement of politicians restricted in the area.

KASGANJ: The riot-hit town of Kasganj in Western Uttar Pradesh remained on the edge on as incidents of fire reported on Sunday despite heavy police deployment in the town. However, the police claimed that the situation is now under control as some markets and shops were reopened amid strict vigil by the forces. A meeting of the district peace committee was held on Sunday morning in a bid to restore normalcy. Following the meeting, it was decided that shops and commercial establishments in the area would be opened. Divisional Commissioner, Aligarh, Subhash Chandra Sharma, said shops selling tea, snacks, vegetables, milk and medicine were already allowed to remain open and normalcy would when others start opening their shops. The police have made 79 arrests till Sunday in connection with the violence that erupted on Friday when a motorcycle rally by the activists of ABVP and VHP was passing through the locality of another community. A fresh round of violence had erupted in Kasganj on Sunday morning when a group of miscreants set some shops ablaze. The Uttar Pradesh police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the communal clash that led to the death of one person and injured several others. During raids, police have also recovered petrol bombs and a country-made pistol from the house of one of the accused. "The situation in Kasganj is now under control. No incidents have taken place in last ten hours. A number of people were arrested and patrolling has been intensified," DGP OP Singh said. Singh said the priority of the administration is to maintain the law and order. "Accused have been identified and they all will be arrested soon." Internet services remain suspended in the trouble-torn area to prevent rumours spreading on the social media. The administration has also restricted political movements in the district to avoid flaring up of the situation. The clashes emerged on Friday when a group of motorcycle-borne men holding the National Flag and saffron flag were passing through a minority-dominated area. "We have organised a flag hoisting ceremony at a crossroad here and invited the residents of the area to celebrate the Republic Day. A group of bikers with saffron flags in hand tried to interrupt the event and asked us to remove the chairs from the street. When we asked them to participate in our program they refused and kicked the chairs and raised provocative slogans. They also asked us to hoist the saffron flag," Munazir, a resident of the locality where it all started, said. Whereas the other version says when a 'Tiranga Yatra' taken out by volunteers of VHP and ABVP on the Mathura-Bareilly highway was passing through a minority-dominated area, some miscreants pelted stones on them. Soon there was firing from the locality in which two persons received gunshot. In the firing, Chandan was killed and Naushad was injured. Naushad was referred to Aligarh for treatment. People from both the communities have urged each other to maintain peace in the town.