Gariaband. Tension between two communities turned into violent clashes in Dudhkaiyan village of Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh. The vandalism of the Shiva temple and the subsequent fight created tremendous anger in the area. Police have deployed additional forces to control the situation. Expressing concern over the incident, Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai said that strict action will be taken against the culprits.
Tension arose after vandalism in Shiva temple
A Muslim youth allegedly vandalized the Shiva temple in the village. After this the police arrested him and sent him to jail. After being released from jail, the youth returned with his relatives and attacked the villagers.
The victim accused the police of negligence
Narendra Sahu, a resident of the village, was attacked by three youths and beaten badly with wooden sticks. Sahu suffered fractures in his hands and legs. The victim alleged that despite being aware of the matter, the police did not take immediate action and there was a delay in arresting the accused.
Village hit by violence: Houses and vehicles set on fire
As soon as the news of the attack spread, people of the Hindu community became enraged and set fire to houses and vehicles belonging to the accused. The situation rapidly deteriorated, necessitating the police to call in reinforcements.
Three accused arrested, policemen injured
Police have arrested three accused. Additional police forces were deployed from Gariaband, Raipur, Mahasamund, Durg and Rajnandgaon districts to calm the tension in the village. Some angry people attacked the police with bricks and stones, in which many policemen were injured. However, the situation is now said to be under control.
Strong message from the Chief Minister: Strict action against the culprits
Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai said that the incident is in his notice and the government is looking at it seriously. He made it clear that strict action will be taken against the accused who spread this violence. The Chief Minister also said that every step will be taken within the ambit of law.
PCC Chief Deepak Baij’s response:
Chhattisgarh Congress President Deepak Baij termed the incident as unfortunate and said that this violence broke out due to the negligence of the police and the government. He alleged that if the police had acted in time, this incident could have been averted. Baij appealed to both the communities to maintain peace and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.