(Hindustan Times - Lucknow Edition
30 January 2007)
HindustanTimes.com » Print Editions » Lucknow » Metro » Pg 1 Front » Story
GORAKHPUR BURNS AGAIN
Yogi’s arrest sparks large-scale violence; one killed
HT Correspondent
Gorakhpur, January 29
VIOLENCE ROCKED the city on Monday following the arrest of firebrand BJP MP Yogi Adityanath along with hundreds of his supporters on Sunday evening forcing, the district administration to impose curfew in areas falling under Gorakhnath police station. Three other police station areas are already under curfew.
A youth was shot dead at Rajghat bund by some unidentified miscreants at 7 pm. Also, brother of a BJP corporator was shot at and injured by some unidentified motorcycle-borne miscreants during curfew relaxation. However, the administration claimed he was hurt when a gun went off accidentally. The two incidents escalated the tension in various localities. Arson was also reported from Mau, Basti, Kushinagar, Deoria, Padrauna and Maharajganj.
In Gorakhpur, the situation took an ugly turn on Monday morning when youths of a particular community hit the streets under Gorakhnath police station and set ablaze a footwear shop and a hotel belonging to members of another community.
The arson started at around 9 am and continued till the afternoon. Heavy stone pelting from the premises of Gorakhnath temple kept the police force on the backfoot. There were also rumours that the wall of the temple was damaged, which added fuel to the fire. However, the situation was brought under control after deployment of the Rapid Action Force around the temple.
The agitated mob pelted stones on half a dozen shops and a marriage hall belonging to members of a particular community on the Gorakhnath temple road.
They also set ablaze two godowns of scrap in the same locality and shouted slogans.
Reacting to the incident, members of the other community also shouted slogans and pelted stones. However, police personnel managed to disperse the rampaging mobs. The agitated mob also set ablaze vehicles of Gorakhpur Nagar Nigam and a roadways bus at Maniram railway crossing.
They also pelted stones on trains passing on this route. RAF jawans fired rubber bullets and used teargas to disperse the mob. They also resorted to mild lathicharge at around two-dozen places. Reacting to the arrest of Adityanath, activists of Hindu Yuva Vahini blocked traffic movement in Chauri Chaura for three hours. Similar incidents were also reported from Farenda, Khajani and Pipraich police station areas.
In Khajani, agitated youths of the Hindu Yuva Vahini torched a mosque adjacent to a police station. In Jungle Kauria and Maniram, HYV activists set ablaze three shops and indulged in violence.
|
