Godhra gets that scare again

However, arson and stone-throwing continued in the presence of policemen with many processionists openly jeering them asking them why the Muslims were not shot at when they had cast the first stone.

Police fired several bullets in the air and countless tear-gas shells to control the processionists who at one point pulled back a few idols to delay the procession.

Eleven persons who were injured were taken to the Civil Hospital. Two of them, one in critical condition, were rushed to Vadodara. Trouble started around 5 pm when the tail of the procession of 73 idols was passing by Rani Masjid in Polan Bazaar.

The processionists said the stone-throwing from the mosque was unprovoked but Muslims claimed the Hindu youths raised provocative slogans and teased some Muslim boys who were watching. Idris Umar, a local peace committee member, alleged that the trouble started when processionists accompanying idols numbered 51, 52, and 53 squatted in front of Rani Masjid and wrote Jai Shriram on the masjid board as also another board used by the community for putting up general notices. Soon, Muslim properties were targeted on the half-kilometre stretch leading to the railway station.

Witnesses said the local police and their counterparts from the SRP often simply watched as processionists went berserk, looting shops, upturning goods, setting things on fire. It was only after the RAF stepped in that some order was restored.

DSP M D Antani was heard shouting to his men: ‘‘Yaad raakho, Satyamev Jayate. Remember your duty is to maintain law and order.’’

RAF personnel asked policemen who watched a music shop being looted why they did not act. ‘‘At least join us in beating them back, that is the least you can do,’’ said a RAF jawan to a group of policemen watching the action from near Police Chowky No 7.

Despite his blood-spattered clothes, Inspector Vijay Joshi was asked what he did to stop the stone-throwing. ‘‘I fired three rounds,’’ he said as he was getting into a police jeep, to which an angry young man retorted, ‘‘Did you kill anyone?’’

Another young constable threatened to slap some seniors who refused to act even while the district police chief watched. ‘‘I fired one round in the air. I’ll hold fort with the RAF, but I won’t stay with you,’’ he said, pointing to them. However, the superintendent of police egged the constable on, saying he would back him to the hilt.

Godhra MLA Haresh Bhatt had a tough time in his own constituency. Angry processionists booed him, roughed him up for not letting them ‘‘settle scores.’’

Bhatt was with the procession but has left about 4:45 p.m. He returned only after the violence began, accompanied by police and his bodyguards. After the jeering, the firebrand MLA was in tears, his hair dishevelled. He was simply unable to control the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists.