Curfew continues in Gorakhpur; flag march by security forces

Gorakhpur/Lucknow, Jan 31 (UNI) Peace was fast returning to Gorakhpur, even as curfew imposed in the eastern district continued today since Friday's communal flare up.

The security forces today staged a flag march in the riot-hit city to instill confidence among the populace.

UP home department said in the state capital that there were no reports of fresh violence either in Gorakhpur or adjoining districts today.

A curfew was clamped in Padrauna of Kushinagar yesterday following clashes between members of two communities during a Moharrum procession.

A Home department official maintained while Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath was arrested by the police, his release would be decided by the district administration.

Meanwhile, VHP president Ashok Singhal today demanded immediate release of Yogi.

Talking to newspersons at Allahabad, he warned if Yogi was not released immediately, the saints from different parts of the country would march to Gorakhpur.

He alleged the government was harassing the saints and warned they were not going to sit in peace.

State DGP Bua Singh was camping in Gorakhpur to access the situation.

Meanwhile, close on the heels of suspending the DM and SSP of Gorakhpur for their alleged laxity in handling the communal flare-up, the Uttar Pradesh government today transferred IG (zone) Vinay Kumar Verma.

Verma has been attached to the DGP office here and Jagmohan Yadav, who was so far IG (Meerut zone), was appointed as the new IG of the Gorakhpur zone.

The decision to remove Mr Verma was made after violence spread to adjoining areas of the district, including Kushinagar, where a curfew was clamped in Padrauna following violence yesterday.

The state government on Monday had suspended DM Hari Om and SSP Raja Srivastava. Rakesh Goel and S K Bhagat were appointed as new DM and SSP of the riot-torn district respectively.

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

The administration decided to withdraw relaxation in curfew after one person was killed and another injured in an incident of firing on Monday night.

While two people have been killed so far, 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 on 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