Four held in Punjab clashes, mobile internet services suspended in 4 districts
The incident took place when members of a group allegedly installed a board carrying a picture of BR Ambedkar at Gol Chowk on the National Highway (NH)-1.
Four people were arrested on Sunday in connection with the violent clashes between two groups that took place on April 13 over the installation of a board and renaming of a “chowk” (intersection) in Phagwara, police said.
Inderjit Karwal, the state vice-president of Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray), Deepak Bhardwaj, Punjab unit president of Hindu Suraksha Samiti, Shivi Batta, president of another Shiv Sena outfit, and one Raju Chahal were presented before a magistrate who sent them to judicial custody.
Following the arrest, an official spokesperson said, mobile internet and SMS services were suspended for 24 hours in four districts of Punjab.
Mobile internet services, including 2G, 3G, 4G, CDMA and GPRS, all SMS services and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except voice calls, in Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and SBS Nagar shall remain suspended till April 16, the spokesperson said.
Deputy commissioner Mohammad Tayyab and SSP Sandeep Sharma met members of the groups, pleading them to maintain peace.
Heavy security force continued to be deployed in the area, the police said. Liquor vends remained closed as a precautionary measure.
The incident took place when members of a group allegedly installed a board carrying a picture of BR Ambedkar at Gol Chowk on the National Highway (NH)-1.
They also tried to rename it Savidhan Chowk. However, members of another group objected to it and that led to a clash between them, the police said.