The situation in Dhar in Madhya Pradesh worsened today with two people getting killed, one in police firing and another in a mob clash, as the second-consecutive bandh organised by Sangh outfit Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) turned violent. However, there are indications that at least in the short term, the HJM may agree to a compromise recommended at the meeting of the peace committee in Dhar yesterday. According to IG (Indore), V. M. Kanwar, the communal clash took place in Charavat village close to Rajgarh in Dhar district. Rajgarh has been under curfew since yesterday. The death due to police firing occurred in Amjhera, which has also been under curfew since yesterday. On February 18 night, a mahant in Amjhera, Bhagwan Das Tyagi had been killed, in what the police have stated was a dacoity. Today, curfew was relaxed for a few hours in the afternoon and the Mahant’s shav yatra was taken out. The crowd gathered for the cremation turned violent on the way back and set fire to the house of a person from the minority community. According to the police, an SDOP who reached the spot was also attacked and the largely tribal crowd was pelting stones when the police opened fire. 45-year-old Bant Singh was killed in the firing and two others were injured. In another incident that took place late last night, curfew was imposed in Dikhtan, 30 km from Dhar, after five shops owned by members of the minority community were set on fire. Meanwhile, the curfew imposed in four other town of the district continues, with an hour’s relaxation allowed this evening in Dhar town. The bandh in the other districts, however, passed of peacefully. Yesterday, the peace committee in Dhar had reccomended that the monument be once again thrown open to visitors as per ASI norms. The meeting had been called after Digvijay Singh had been asked by Union Minister Jagmohan to give his suggestions on the advisability of such a step keeping in view the law and order situation. Digvijay Singh has stated that he will be forwarding the reccomendation of the peace committee to the Centre. Yesterday the HJM had ruled out accepting any proposal which would not allow worship inside the shrine but today there seems to have been a change in this view. HJM chief in MP, Radheshyam Yadav, told The Indian Express, ‘‘Yes if are allowed darshan then pooja will follow. If the government allows entry into the monument on all days this will be acceptable to us. However, if this does not happen we will consider our next step.’’
