Faizabad: The six-hour-long relaxation in curfew in the temple town of Faizabad on Monday passed off peacefully.
Indefinite curfew, which was clamped in the temple town of Faizabad, was relaxed for six hours for the first time on Monday as the situation was limping back to normal after communal violence hit the district on October 24. According to District Magistrate Deepak Agarwal, the relaxation in curfew from 1000 to 1600 hrs passed off peacefully. Earlier, the district authorities had decided to relax the curfew for four hours, but it was extended for two more hours.
However, the curfew was not relaxed in the adjoining Bhardasa area, where it was clamped on October 26 after a violent incident. People thronged the markets to purchase essential items goods during the relaxation period. Mr Agarwal said the authorities have made all arrangements for distribution of essential items during the relaxation period. He said patrolling has been intensified during the curfew relaxation.
Violence broke out during immersion of Goddess Durga idols in the city on Wednesday in which two people were reportedly killed, while 20 others were injured. More than 100 shops and houses were set afire in Faizabad city and Bhardasa.
The administration is cracking down on rumour mongering and around 50 anti-social elements have been rounded up in Bhadarsa and surrounding rural areas in addition to five arrests from Faizabad city, police said. The state administration has already suspended Additional District Magistrate (city), Additional Superintendent of Police and In-charge of Kotwali city and transferred the city magistrate after they were found lax in discharge of their duties on Dussehra day when the violence took place. (UNI)