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Curfew in 10 Jodhpur areas after fresh violence; Gehlot sends in top officials
Chief minister Ashok Gehlot deputed two ministers and top civil servants to camp in Jodhpur and quickly restore peace in Jodhpur
Curfew was imposed in several localities of Rajasthan’s Jodhpur after communal tension first erupted in the Jalori Gate area over raising a religious flag ahead of Eid late on Monday and spread to some neighbouring areas on Tuesday.
Jodhpur deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Rajkumar Choudhary said in an order that the curfew, ordered in areas under 10 police stations in Jodhpur (East), will continue till Wednesday midnight. The areas where restrictions have been imposed are under police stations: Udaymandir, Sadar Kotwali, Sadar Bazar, Nagauri Gate, Khandafalsa, Pratapnagar, Pratapnagar Sadar, Dev Nagar, Soorsagar and Sardarpura.
The government blocked internet services past Monday midnight after the first clash took place in Jalori Gate area. Police said some people objected to the flags, which led to an argument that got out of hand. News agency ANI said some miscreants had removed some flags that provoked the other group.
As news spread in the area, scores of people came to the streets. Police officers said local officials appeared to have managed to settle the issue and dispersed the crowd by about 12.30-1 am but people regrouped later and started throwing stones at each other, and the police.
Four policemen and several civilians were injured in this clash as security personnel used teargas shells to disperse the mob and later barricaded the entire Jalori Gate area.
On Tuesday, there were multiple appeals for calm and peace. Gehlot combined his call for appeal for peace with orders to officials to quickly restore peace.
Union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who represents Jodhpur in the Lok Sabha, also chipped in. “This act is not acceptable here. I want to tell all my brothers and sisters of Jodhpur that we should not get instigated.”
“It is the responsibility of the police and administration to maintain religious harmony and peace. We have to keep calm. Our first responsibility is to maintain peace in Jodhpur,” Shekhawat said on Twitter.
But after sporadic incidents of violence were reported from localities around the Jalori Gate on Tuesday as well, the authorities decided to clamp down and issued the curfew orders.
In Jaipur, chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who hails from Jodhpur town, had been tracking the situation and issued instructions to officials to spare no effort to hold peace.
Gehlot held a detailed review of the situation after fresh incidents of violence were reported on Tuesday afternoon at his office and ordered a team of senior officials led by the state’s junior home minister Rajendra Yadav and minister in-charge of Jodhpur Subhash Garg to visit the hotspot 350km away.
The two ministers were accompanied by additional chief secretary Abhay Kumar and additional director general, law and order, Hawa Singh. Police said the situation is under control and adequate force has been deployed to maintain law and order.
