Gorakhpur flare-up triggers political heat in UP

Lucknow, Jan 30 (UNI) Gorakhpur communal flare-up has triggered a flurry of political activity in Uttar Pradesh with BJP charging the ruling Samajwadi Party with creating communal disturbance to achieve narrow political gains.

While Governor T V Rajeswar has appealed to the people of UP to maintain calm, BSP demanded President's rule in the state.

Congress today announced to carry out a 'shanti and sadhbhawna' march in riot-torn areas led by UPCC chief Salman Khurshid.

Meanwhile, an attempt by BJP state unit president Keshri Nath Tripathi and leader of the opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly Lalji Tandon to visit Gorakhpur was unsuccessful with the two leaders being detained in Allahabad and Barabanki respectively.

Taking a stern action, the state government had last night suspended Gorakhpur DM Hari Om and SSP Raja Srivastava for their alleged laxity in bringing the situation under control.

Newly appointed DM Rakesh Kumar Goel and SSP S K Bhagat today formed a peace committee of senior citizens from both the communities to maintain calm.

Shia clerics in Gorakhpur today decided against taking out the Moharrum procession to avoid any untoward incident.

Section 144 (prohibitory orders) was imposed today in Kushinagar district, after mob protesting the arrest of BJP MP Yogi Aditya Nath attacked several people, including some mediapersons.

The incident took place in Sidhua Bazar of Padrauna town, where members of a community torched houses and shops belonging to another community.

Later, members of both the communities came face to face and resorted to stone pelting, in which several people, including mediapersons and an infant were wounded.

Over 25 people have been arrested and the situation, at present, was said to be under control.

The four police station areas, where curfew was clamped in Gorakhpur after Friday night violence have been turned into fortresses with heavy police bandobast. Companies of Shashtra Suraksha Bal (SSB), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been deployed.

The administration has decided to withdraw the relaxation in curfew in the affected areas after one person was killed and another injured in an incident of firing last night.

While two people have been killed, over five were reported injured in cases of violence and arson. Over 100 people have been rounded up for indulging in violence and arson, police added.

Miscreants had opened fire at a 'baraat' procession on Friday night, in which over 24 people were wounded in Ismailpur under Kotwali police station area at Gorakhpur.

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.

BJP MP Yogi Adityanath was arrested for violating prohibitory orders followed by some violence by his supporters in Gorakhnath area to protest his arrest. Soon after, curfew was clamped on the Gorakhnath area too.

UNI