Gorakhpur curfew relaxed for 7 hrs after clash

Gorakhpur, Jan 29: Curfew in this eastern Uttar Pradesh district, which was imposed after a communal clash on Friday, has been relaxed for seven hours today.

Curfew in Kotwali, Tiwaripur and Rajghat areas was imposed after a communal clash on Friday night. Later, shoot-at-sight orders were issued against the curfew violators.

This afternoon, curfew was also clamped in Gorakhnath police station area amid violent protests following the arrest of BJP MP Yogi Aditya Nath. Besides, section 144 (prohibitory orders) were imposed in other police station areas.

Owing to marriage season and Moharram tommorow, curfew in Kotwali, Tiwaripur and Rajghat police station areas was relaxed from 1600 to 2300 hrs.

No relaxation was made in Gorakhnath area.

Curfew has been relaxed but section 144 would remain in force.

People have also been prohibited to carry arms even in the non-curfew bound areas.

BJP MP and successor of the Gorakshapeeth and 102 others were arrested for ''disturbing peace'' and violating section 144.

Agitated by Nath's arrest, his supporters torched a UPSRTC bus under Cantonment police station area. The mob also stone pelted the Gorakhnath temple.

Police resorted to lathicharge to control the situation.

The mob also torched a sleeper coach of the Nautanava-Gorakhpur train near Nakha railway station.

Meanwhile, Hindu Vahini leader and Devipatan Shaktipeeth Mahant Kaushalendra Nath and his over 12 supporters were taken into custody in Maharajganj Terai area today, when they were on way to Bahraich.

Police said Nath and his supporters had taken to the streets and burnt Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in effigy.

A report from Maharajganj said, irked over the arrest of BJP MP Yogi Aditya Nath, pary workers accompanied by Hindu Vahini activists staged a 'dharna' on the highways.

The mob also damaged a bangles shop in Patiara town.

Superintendent of Police (Maharajganj) Amitabh Thakur said local police had been deployed to prevent further violence and 12 persons have been arrested.

Fifty people including MLA Dr Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, MLC Dr Y D Singh, BJP leader Shiv Pratap Shukla were arrested for violating section 144 yesterday.

Meanwhile, all educational institutes have been closed till January 30.

Miscreants had opened fire at a 'baraat' procession on Friday night, in which over 24 persons were wounded in Ismailpur.

Some people, trying to escape the shootout, entered a moharram procession nearby, leading to a clash between the two groups. The situation turned tense after a wounded Raj Kumar Agrahari died at Gorakhpur Medical College.

UNI