AT LEAST eight people were reported injured and several shops and vehicles were set on fire in Jaitaran town of Rajasthan’s Pali district on Saturday afternoon after some people allegedly shouted inflammatory slogans outside a mosque when members of the Hindu community were taking a procession in the area on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti.
According to some reports, stones were allegedly thrown at the procession.
“Members of one community were taking out a procession, and preliminary reports suggest that some people allegedly started chanting inflammatory slogans outside a mosque. This resulted in stone-pelting by people from another community,” Additional DGP (law and order) N R K Reddy said.
“The miscreants burnt around 20 or 25 shops and set fire to a bus and a motorcycle. There were some 1,000 or 1,500 people who were involved in the clashes,” Reddy said.
Reddy said eight people have been injured, including policemen. “Two of the injured have been referred to Jodhpur. At this point, we are driving the protesters to their homes to control the situation,” Reddy said. Police officials said that violence was reported from areas near Jaitaran bus stand and spots such as Medta Road and Naya bus stand.
“Internet services have been suspended and limited curfew has been imposed in sensitive areas. The situation in Jaitaran is under control at present,” Pali District Collector Sudhir Kumar Sharma told The Sunday Express.
Section 144 has been imposed in the district after the violence and police officials said that separate teams have been deployed to arrest those involved in the violence.
Officials said that extra police force is being deployed in the district and areas where violence took place. “Two companies of Rajasthan Armed Constabulary, along with around 150 police personnel, have been sent to the district,” Reddy said.
“We have been talking to some senior persons from both sides to douse the tension and ensure peace,” PTI quoted District Collector Sharma.
Checkmate.
