E-Paper
Black flags greet CM in Varanasi
DEMONSTRATORS SHOWED black flags to Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in the Sankat Mochan area here on Wednesday and attempted to block his route even as the city and other parts of the State witnessed a complete bandh in protest against Tuesday?s bomb blasts. Police resorted to a lathicharge on a mob trying to block the CM?s motorcade at Sankat Mochan crossing just before his arrival. Later, as soon as the motorcade emerged from the temple, the demonstrators showed him black flags again before cops drove them away.
DEMONSTRATORS SHOWED black flags to Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in the Sankat Mochan area here on Wednesday and attempted to block his route even as the city and other parts of the State witnessed a complete bandh in protest against Tuesday’s bomb blasts.
Police resorted to a lathicharge on a mob trying to block the CM’s motorcade at Sankat Mochan crossing just before his arrival. Later, as soon as the motorcade emerged from the temple, the demonstrators showed him black flags again before cops drove them away.
Police resorted to a lathicharge three times in Lanka to disperse Shiv Sena and BJP activists, who, too, had gathered to show black flags to the CM on his return from the BHU Hospital where he had gone to enquire about the blast victims. Police arrested nearly two dozen youths at the entrance to the BHU campus to clear the route for the CM. During the bandh called by the BJP, the VHP and the Bajrang Dal, all shops remained closed and vehicular traffic was partially affected.Students appearing for the UP Board and ICSE examinations faced hardship.
Lawyers protesting against the blasts and the “failure of the State Government to rein in anti-national elements” stormed the office of divisional commissioner CN Dubey in the city’s Kacheri area. They broke the windowpanes of the office and damaged furniture. The lawyers also struck work for the whole day.
Meanwhile, dozens of Shiv Sena activists were detained by police near the Varuna bridge.
In the morning, city roads wore a deserted look. Locals and BJP activists took out a procession from different parts of the city and staged demonstrations, which were supported by a number of social and trade organisations.
Besides Varanasi, the impact of the bandh was felt in Chandauli, Ghazipur, Mirzapur, Mau and Bhadohi. There were reports that some shops were torched in Kushinagar by agitators.
