Agra, Sep 28 (IANS) At least 6 people were injured and many shops damaged in a clash between two groups over the use of loudspeakers in a temple near here Friday.
A local leader with his men reportedly stopped the use of loudspeakers at a Shiva temple Thursday evening at Achchnera, 20 km from here. The temple is famous for its non-stop recital of the Hindu epic Ramayana for more than 20 years.
Leaders of some Hindu organisations Friday called for a strike in the local market besides forcing a closure of the schools. People also surrounded a police station demanding the arrest of those responsible for stopping the use of the loudspeaker.
In clashes later between the two groups, there was large-scale stone- throwing in which six people were injured. More than a dozen shops were also damaged.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Raj Kumar Chahar, Udai Bhan Singh and some Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal activists were arrested Friday. Section 144 is in force in the town close to Fatehpur Sikri. Additional police forces have been deployed, police said.
Kamal Saxena, the deputy inspector general of police, Agra, told IANS: “The police have acted promptly and we are not taking any chances.”
Another senior police official said, “The whole area has been sealed and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel deployed in large numbers. This is being done as a precaution because some delegates from the Commonwealth countries are visiting Agra on Saturday.”