05-25-2009, 10:22 AM
<b>Punjab tense after night of violence, Army called in</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Towns in Punjab remained tense on Monday morning after a night of violence on Sunday by members of a <b>Dalit Sikh sect protesting a clash in a gurudwara</b> in Austria's capital Vienna.
District authorities in Jalandhar, which saw the maximum violence, requisitioned the army and the Border Security Force (BSF) late Sunday night even as the Punjab Police was out on the streets in full force to control the rampaging mobs belonging to the Sachh Khand sect, followers of Guru Ravi Dass Sabha.
<b>The entire Doaba belt (the area between rivers Sutlej and Beas) comprising Jalandhar, Phagwara, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur towns were tense throughout the night. Jalandhar and Phagwara were the worst hit areas. Unrest was also reported from the industrial city of Ludhiana, 60 km from Jalandhar. </b>
Although no one was injured in the clashes, <b>scores of public and private vehicles were set ablaze by the protestors in Jalandhar and Phagwara</b>.<b> A State Bank of India ATM was also set ablaze in Jalandhar</b>.
Many people were stranded on the roads after the violence broke out.
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Curfew has been imposed in Jalandhar, which continued Monday morning, even though the police claimed the situation was brought under control.
"The situation turned bad and we have requisitioned the army, BSF and the Punjab Armed Police units to control the situation," said Sanjiv Kalra, inspector general of police (IG), Jalandhar range.
The protestors also clashed with the police at some places in Jalandhar. The protestors blocked roads and highways around Jalandhar and in the nearby industrial town of Phagwara.
"<b>It is a very serious situation. Curfew has been imposed in Jalandhar City following the violence. Road and rail traffic has been affected," </b>Kalra told IANS.
<b>Railway traffic through Jalandhar, including the New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi train, was affected as protestors blocked rail tracks. </b>
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District authorities in Jalandhar, which saw the maximum violence, requisitioned the army and the Border Security Force (BSF) late Sunday night even as the Punjab Police was out on the streets in full force to control the rampaging mobs belonging to the Sachh Khand sect, followers of Guru Ravi Dass Sabha.
<b>The entire Doaba belt (the area between rivers Sutlej and Beas) comprising Jalandhar, Phagwara, Nawanshahr and Hoshiarpur towns were tense throughout the night. Jalandhar and Phagwara were the worst hit areas. Unrest was also reported from the industrial city of Ludhiana, 60 km from Jalandhar. </b>
Although no one was injured in the clashes, <b>scores of public and private vehicles were set ablaze by the protestors in Jalandhar and Phagwara</b>.<b> A State Bank of India ATM was also set ablaze in Jalandhar</b>.
Many people were stranded on the roads after the violence broke out.
...........
Curfew has been imposed in Jalandhar, which continued Monday morning, even though the police claimed the situation was brought under control.
"The situation turned bad and we have requisitioned the army, BSF and the Punjab Armed Police units to control the situation," said Sanjiv Kalra, inspector general of police (IG), Jalandhar range.
The protestors also clashed with the police at some places in Jalandhar. The protestors blocked roads and highways around Jalandhar and in the nearby industrial town of Phagwara.
"<b>It is a very serious situation. Curfew has been imposed in Jalandhar City following the violence. Road and rail traffic has been affected," </b>Kalra told IANS.
<b>Railway traffic through Jalandhar, including the New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi train, was affected as protestors blocked rail tracks. </b>
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