By Rabita Islamic News Agency (RINA)
Vadodra: Communal riots erupted in Vadodra on September 22, 2007, during dispersal (Bhasan) of Ganesh idols. Police have arrested about 100 persons in this connection. Talking to UNI, city police commissioner P. C. Thakur said that he has banned DJ music systems in Bhasan procession as a safety measure. Mr, Thakur was injured a day earlier during stone pelting while attempting to control enraged crowds near Pani Gate Darwaza. He told four cases have been registered at Pani Gate Darwaza, Wari, City and Raopura police stations and about 100 miscreants taken in custody after raids in susceptible areas of the city last night. Police commissioner admitted that a number of persons got injured during confrontation between two different communities as well as in baton-charge by police. He said 30 policemen, including police commissioner himself and deputy police commissioner B. K. Sharma, also got injured in their attempt to control warring crowds.
Riots broke out last night when miscreants hurled stones at Murti Bhasan procession near Pani Gate Darwaza. Since the procession was passing through a very sensitive area, police commissioner and deputy police commissioner were also present among the policemen accompanying the procession. Minutes after stone pelting, confrontations started between the two communities. Meanwhile, the rumour took rounds that a Bajrang Dal worker has been killed in Pani Gate Daewaza area. Following this rumour, several adjacent areas got affected by violence. Police resorted to baton-charge and used tear gas to disperse infuriated crowds. Mr. Thakur told that action will be taken against those who spread the rumour of the killing of a Bajrang Dal worker. He said he banned DJ music system because people get furious due to obscene songs.
Informed sources told that the incidents of violence were prompted only because some people present in the procession started dancing on tunes of obscene songs near a mosque in Pani Gate Darwaza area. Police claimed today that no new incident of violence occurred in the city, though tension continues. According to a report from Bangalore, police resorted to tear gas and mock firing to disperse crowds when they started plundering and fire-raising last night during Bhasan of Ganesh idols in Gangawati town in Kawwapal district. Police told commotion started when some miscreants hurled stones at procession. In retaliation, people in the procession resorted to violence and set the shops of a particular community afire.