Communal clashes: Police buckle under saffron pressure, shift two officers - Hindustan Times
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Communal clashes: Police buckle under saffron pressure, shift two officers

C B Singh and Chhotu Shastri, Jhabua/Dhar | By
Oct 19, 2016 09:34 AM IST

Under pressure from RSS and BJP workers at Petlawad in Jhabua and Gandhwani in Dhar, the Madhya Pradesh police shifted Petlawad and Manawar sub-divisional officers (police) and attached them to IG’s office in Indore on Tuesday.

Under pressure from RSS and BJP workers at Petlawad in Jhabua and Gandhwani in Dhar, the Madhya Pradesh police shifted Petlawad and Manawar sub-divisional officers (police) and attached them to IG’s office in Indore on Tuesday.

The Madhya Pradesh police shifted Petlawad and Manawar sub-divisional officers (police) and attached them to IG’s office in Indore on Tuesday.(File photo)
The Madhya Pradesh police shifted Petlawad and Manawar sub-divisional officers (police) and attached them to IG’s office in Indore on Tuesday.(File photo)

The action is reminiscent of the Balaghat episode in which the government transferred an IGP and the SP and suspended an additional SP, a town inspector and eight other policemen for allegedly thrashing RSS worker Suresh Yadav.

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At Petlawad in Jhabua district, SDOP Rakesh Vyas and police station in-charge Karni Singh Saktawat were attached to the IG’s office in Indore.

At Gandhwani in Dhar district SDOP Dheeraj Babbar informed media persons about his attachment with IG office.

When contacted Dhar SP Rajesh Hingankar said he has not received any orders in this regard.

Both Petlawad and Gandhwani had recently witnessed communal clashes.

The Congress has alleged that RSS was trying to settle scores with policemen at Petlawad, by creating an atmosphere similar to the one in Balaghat, where policemen were suspended and booked.

At Petlawad, trouble had started in a tribal dominated village after unidentified people stopped a Muharram procession at Sirvi Mohalla on October 12 night. Thereafter, a shop was set afire at New Bus Stand, sparking tension. Police detained 12 people in connection with the case, out of which four were RSS workers.

Later, the RSS demanded action against 12 policemen including SDOP Rakesh Vyas and town inspector Saktawat who had allegedly beaten up RSS workers in custody and called for a bandh.

The BJP state unit had sent Mandsaur MP Sudhir Gupta and Khargone MP Subhash Thakur to Petlawad to file a ground report.

Both leaders interacted with people and victims’ family members and handed over report to the BJP state president Nandkumar Singh Chouhan and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday evening. Within 24 hours of that, SDOP Vyas was attached to the IG’s office.

In Dhar, prohibitory orders were clamped at Gandhwani and Pipliya villages which fall under Kukshi police station after both these places witnessed communal clashes on October 12.

The situation worsened after no action was taken immediately against local SDM and SDOP as demanded by the BJP and RSS workers. In order to mount pressure on the government, local BJP leaders tabled their resignations.

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