10-16-2005, 06:03 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Mau on boil for 3rd day </b>
Pioneer News Service / Lucknow
Even as shoot-at-sight orders were issued in riot-torn Mau, a fresh bout of violence on <b>Saturday claimed two more lives, taking the total death toll in the Dussehra-triggered communal clash to five.</b>
The State Government, however, claimed that only three persons had been killed, nine injured and 30 shops either looted or set afire. Eighty nine persons have been arrested.
<b>Mau was dogged by violence for the third consecutive day despite the State Government's Friday claim that the situation "is under control and the administration has done a commendable job." </b>
The Saturday bout had Principal Secretary (Home) Alok Singh and DGP Yashpal Singh scurrying for a situation assessment of the riot-torn town on Saturday even as four senior police officers and five companies each of the PAC and the RAF were battling the situation under curfew conditions. Communal tension was sparked off in the township on Thursday after a group clash over the use of loudspeakers during a Bharat Milap procession. This snowballed into violence, arson and looting.
Despite curfew on Friday, miscreants roamed the streets indulging in arson and violence. A dozen were seriously injured after miscreants lobbed bombs into the Brahmin Tola locality. Anti-social elements armed with semi-automatic firearms opened indiscriminate fire near the branch of Oriental Bank of Commerce injuring several persons
In Kathupurwa locality, <b>houses of two local journalists were set afire. The violence resulted in the exodus of a particular community.</b> Despite a flag march by the RAF and PAC personnel, marauders pelted the Shahganj passenger train with stones, compelling the Railways to divert several trains, including the Lichhavi Express, from Ballia.
<b>Dismissing the BJP demand for deployment of Army in Mau,</b> Mr Alok Singh claimed that no major incident except torching of a bus was reported on Saturday.
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Pioneer News Service / Lucknow
Even as shoot-at-sight orders were issued in riot-torn Mau, a fresh bout of violence on <b>Saturday claimed two more lives, taking the total death toll in the Dussehra-triggered communal clash to five.</b>
The State Government, however, claimed that only three persons had been killed, nine injured and 30 shops either looted or set afire. Eighty nine persons have been arrested.
<b>Mau was dogged by violence for the third consecutive day despite the State Government's Friday claim that the situation "is under control and the administration has done a commendable job." </b>
The Saturday bout had Principal Secretary (Home) Alok Singh and DGP Yashpal Singh scurrying for a situation assessment of the riot-torn town on Saturday even as four senior police officers and five companies each of the PAC and the RAF were battling the situation under curfew conditions. Communal tension was sparked off in the township on Thursday after a group clash over the use of loudspeakers during a Bharat Milap procession. This snowballed into violence, arson and looting.
Despite curfew on Friday, miscreants roamed the streets indulging in arson and violence. A dozen were seriously injured after miscreants lobbed bombs into the Brahmin Tola locality. Anti-social elements armed with semi-automatic firearms opened indiscriminate fire near the branch of Oriental Bank of Commerce injuring several persons
In Kathupurwa locality, <b>houses of two local journalists were set afire. The violence resulted in the exodus of a particular community.</b> Despite a flag march by the RAF and PAC personnel, marauders pelted the Shahganj passenger train with stones, compelling the Railways to divert several trains, including the Lichhavi Express, from Ballia.
<b>Dismissing the BJP demand for deployment of Army in Mau,</b> Mr Alok Singh claimed that no major incident except torching of a bus was reported on Saturday.
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