Saharanpur: Riot-hit Saharanpur city is fast turning to be normal and the district authorities have decided to give four-hour relaxation in two phases in the curfew-bound six police station areas on Monday.
District Magistrate Sandhya Tiwari told UNI here that curfew would be relaxed in the new city areas between 1000 hrs to 1400 hrs, while the old city areas will have relaxation between 1500 hrs to 1900 hrs on Monday.
She said the situation was fast turning normal and no incident has been reported since the past 36 hours.
“During the relaxation, authorities have made arrangements for distribution of essential commodities for the people,” she said, while adding that markets and shops have been asked to open during the relaxation period in view of Eid festival tomorrow.
Meanwhile, authorities were considering to register cases under National Security Act (NSA) against the people who unleashed the violence.
Around 60 people have been identified by the police so far, who were involved in the clash and violence besides looting and torching of the shops and vehicles.
Indefinite curfew was clamped in six police station areas on Saturday morning following a bloody clash between two minority groups on a dispute over construction at a religious place.
Three people have been killed in the violence while 33 people, including a magistrate and five policemen, were injured.
Saharanpur has virtually turned into a fortress after the violence as more than 2000 central forces and over 4000 PAC and UP police have been deployed to control the violence.
SSP Rajesh Pandey said 38 people have been arrested so far in connection with the violence in which more than 24 shops, several vehicles, petrol pumps were torched during the riot.
Altogether nine FIRs have been registered at Qutubsher police station.
For the first time police was using drone to take an ariel view of the curfew-bound areas and to keep a tap on the miscreants.
School and colleges have been closed till Wednesday.
Sikh delegation meets UP CM
A high level Sikh delegation from Punjab led by assembly speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal today met Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and apprised him about the atrocities on the Sikh community during Saharanpur violence.
The delegation also apprised the CM to intervene into the land controversy and implement the court’s order which is in favour of the Gurudwara.
More than 2 dozen shops of the Sikhs were torched in the violence which triggered in the wee hours of Friday last over a land dispute.
Indefinite curfew was clamped in six police stations of Saharanpur after the violence in which 3 people were killed and 33 others were injured. UNI
BJP MLA defends tweet
Bangalore: Defending his “controversial” tweet advocating “Gujarat model” to stem the Saharanpur riots, BJP MLA and party National Executive Member C T Ravi today said his intention was not to inflame communal passions but to help Uttar Pradesh Government control communal violence.
“My intention was not to inflame communal passions, but to make a point that the Gujarat model would help Uttar Pradesh Government in controlling communal violence,” he told reporters over a brewing controversy on his tweet on Sunday.
“Since 2002, not a single (communal) incident took place in Gujarat as the government there has taken serious action (to control it).” he said.
Ravi had tweeted “Only the Gujarat model, that worked from 2002 in containing their rioting elements, can work. Apply across Bharat.” (PTI)
