Author: Express News Service
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: September 8, 2008
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/358479.html
Exactly four days after Chief Minister Mayawati
alerted the UP Police about possible moves to disturb religious harmony in
the state before the next Lok Sabha elections, communal tension gripped eastern
UP's Azamgarh district following a clash between the supporters of Gorakhpur
MP Yogi Adityanath and residents of Azamgarh's communally sensitive Takiya
locality on Sunday afternoon.
While one person was killed, four persons
were injured in the clashes. Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed in the
town after the incident.
The police fired tear gas shells to disperse
the mob which burnt a car passing by the area at the time. Two vehicles in
Yogi's carcade were also damaged.
Additional Director General of Police Brij
Lal denied that the police had opened fire. He said the dead man was identified
as Walliullah, a native of Mohammedabad in neighbouring Mau district. Azamgarh
SSP V K Garg said the police had seized a country-made pistol and arrested
12 persons from the spot.
The trouble began when the carcade was passing
through Takiya. The controversial MP, who runs an organisation called Hindu
Yuva Vahini, was on his way to address a rally on terrorism at the DAV Degree
College. "Yogi's supporters shouted a slogan, Azamgarh mein rehna hai
to Yogi-Yogi kehna hai (If you want to stay in Azamgarh, you will have to
accept Yogi), which seems to have provoked some people," a police source
said.
Soon stones were thrown at the MP's carcade.
"Due to stone-pelting, some vehicles in the rear of the carcade were
trapped in Takiya. Then there was an exchange of fire," a police source
said. Soon, the mob set afire a vehicle and damaged two others. The police
team which arrived at the spot, too, became the target of the angry locals.
Later, addressing the rally, Adityanath demanded
that the SP and DM arrive at the spot and listen to him. After the public
meeting, the district administration ensured safe passage for the MP.
Senior officers, including IG (Varanasi) Pravin
Singh, have been camping in the town after the incident. Five sections of
the PAC have also been sent to Azamgarh. "The situation is under control.
Forces have been deployed at sensitive places," the IG said.
In Gorakhpur, BJP MLA Radha Mohan Das Agrawal,
considered close to Yogi, started a dharna in front of the DM's office to
protest against the attack. The MLA said the Hindu Yuva Vahini had called
for a bandh in eastern UP on Monday. "We want Z category security for
Adityanath," Agrawal said.
