(The Times of India
1 Feb, 2007)
Gorakhpur violence spreads, IG shifted
[ 1 Feb, 2007 0016hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK & AGENCIES ]
GORAKHPUR: With reports of violence pouring in from neighbouring districts, authorities rushed paramilitary reinforcements to Gorakhpur and extended curfew on Wednesday.
Violence broke out after a person was killed, allegedly by minority community members, during a scuffle at a wedding party on Friday.
The tension spread to neighbouring areas of Gorakhpur after the arrest of BJP MP Yogi Adityanath on Sunday night. The MP's supporters went berserk when authorities prevented Adityanath from holding a meeting.
On Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh government transferred Gorakhpur zone IG Vinay Verma, while three BJP leaders — former Union minister Santosh Gangwar and party leaders Dharmendra Deo and Satyaprakash Ahluwalia — were arrested when they tried to enter Gorakhpur.
Meerut zone IG Jagmohan Yadav will replace Verma. The government had earlier suspended Gorakhpur DM Hari Om, SSP Raja Srivastava and three other police officials in the wake of the violence.
A passenger train was set ablaze and over half a dozen vehicles were torched in the violence-hit areas in and around Gorakhpur district.
Violence spread to neighbouring towns like Kushinagar, Padrauna and Balrampur. Hindu Vahini — Adiitynath is the leader of the outfit — activists set several vehicles on fire and destroyed shops in Padrauna and Kasea.
Electronic mediapersons were attacked, too. Schools and colleges in Gorakhpur have been declared closed until February 3.
North Eastern Railway indefinitely suspended running of all passenger trains originating from Gorakhpur and arriving here. Express and super fast trains were allowed to continue their journey under RPF escort.
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