Trouble spreads, HJM stokes fire with bandh call

Tension in Bhojshala following the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) effort to storm into the restricted site spread today to three more towns, Dhar,...

Tension in Bhojshala following the Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) effort to storm into the restricted site spread today to three more towns, Dhar, Amjhera and Rajgarh, in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh after HJM activists indulged in stone pelting and arson while observing a bandh.

Curfew has been clamped on the areas and police opened fire in at least five places in the district including Dhar town when some HJM activists once again tried to force their way into the Bhojshala. The HJM had called the bandh, supported by the BJP, to protest what they termed as police high-handedness in Dhar yesterday. The HJM has now called for a bandh in five districts, Indore, Dewas, Dhar, Jhabua and Badwani, of the state tommorow.

According to Indore IG V.M. Kanwar curfew was imposed in Dhar shortly after 1 p.m. In Amjhera the police opened fire after the activists surrounded the police station and set fire to a police vehicle and a motorcycle. The HJM activists also gheraod thanas in Badnavar and Tanda where police again opened fire. So far 35 persons have been arrested, and over fifteen policemen are reported to have been injured in the violence. In Dhar four HJM activists were injured in the firing which took place when a group of nearly fifty persons tried to approach the Bhojshala.

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Meanwhile, a meeting of the peace committee scheduled for today, has reccomended that the status of the Bhojshala, which at one time used to be open to the public, be restored. This is unlikely to satisfy the HJM and the BJP that boycotted the meeting because this does not remove the restriction on worship. Even if this step were resorted to, it would imply that namaz would be offered every Friday, puja on Basant Paanchami and the public would be free to visit the Bhojshala like any other ancient monument but no prayers would be allowed, neither could idols or paintings be placed inside.

According to an HJM spokesman, ‘‘Without the right of worship the permission to enter has no meaning. The structure is a temple and we have to be allowed to worship there. We have already boycotted the meeting which comprised Congressmen or Muslims alone. No one from the Hindu society took part.’’

The bandh, he added, was an unprecendented success and the violence was only because of the administration and the chief minister who is ‘‘intent on fomenting riots’’ in Dhar.

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