08-26-2008, 09:49 AM
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?I...=Orissa&Topic=0
Fiery protest in State
PHULBANI/BERHAMPUR: A youth at Rupagaon in Kandhmal district was critically injured when a mob set him ablaze after pouring petrol on him.
In Tikabali of the district a woman was set ablaze by an angry mob . As many as 40 churches in Tikabali and Baliguda were ransacked.
Irate mobs set on fire a number of houses of pastors and fathers and members of Christian community as the ambulance carrying the body of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati reached Phulbani town at 6 am on tuesday.
In some places police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse unruly crowds. After the lathi-charge, a mob gheraoed RDC (southern division) Satyabrata Sahoo and Collector Kisan Kumar for an hour.
Due to the volatile situation, curfew, which was relaxed after 8 am, was reimposed at 11.30 am for an indefinite period in the town while prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC has been clamped in the entire district.
For maintaining law and order six companies of CRPF and 24 platoons OSAP have been deployed. Also IG (Intelligence) R.P.Singh, IG S.S.Hansda, DIG (Operations) Arun Sarangi and RDC (southern division) Satyabrata Sahu are camping here and keeping a close watch on the situation.
The bandh was spontaneous and total in southern districts with road communication being snapped throughout Kandhamal, Gajapati, Rayagada, Ganjam districts. Trees were felled and tyres burnt at many places to block the roads.
Bandh was âtotalâ in Berhampur. Even makeshift tea-shops remained closed. At Gosaninuagaon a group of Bajrang Dal activists were attacked by locals. As the activists left their motorcycles and fled the spot, some miscreants set them afire.
Ten houses, a tractor and a jeep were torched at Tikabali while two houses were damaged in Baliguda in Kandhamal district. Even a police jeep was set afire at Khajuripada.
In Jirang in Gajapati district, a church, a generator and two motorcycles were torched. Amid tight police security the mortal remains of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati were given âsamadhiâ at the garden of his ashram at Chakapad on monday evening. Praveen Togadia, international general secretary of VHP, attended the last rites of the Swami.
Angry activists of VHP and Bajrang Dal set afire Padampur church and two houses, barely 200 metres from the police station, at about 11 am forcing police to teargas them during the VHP-sponsored bandh in the district. The protesters initially assembled before the church and set ablaze a police jeep.
They also roughed up a journalist accusing the fraternity of publishing misleading reports. Although fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot, they failed to do much as the protesters deflated the tyres as the police looked helpless. The day began with members of the Saffron brigade blocking NH-6 passing through the district.
Similar reports of vandalism have also been received from Madhupur Missionary Orphanage under Sohela police limits where irate supporters ransacked the chamber of the resident father even as sources said that the terrorised inmates fled the orphanage.
Sources said the agitators damaged statue of Mother Mary and the ladies hostel of the school. Apart from that angry protesters burnt down a prayer hall in Ghadghadimal under Gaiselet block, burnt Bible in Gourpada under Gobhaga police limits and set on fire an abandoned Catholic church in village Bisipali between Bargarh and Sohela along NH-6.
Bargarh SP Ashok Biswal said police were holding dialogue with the protesters at Padampur when some unruly elements began pelting stones and set afire the police jeep.
A Roman Catholic cemetery was damaged by an irate mob in Sambalpur town. The security forces resorted to lathicharge to disperse an unruly mob when the latter began pelting stones at the Oriya Baptist Church near G M College.
Reports of burning of a mobike belonging to a pastor Pravakar Munna, ransacking of a prayer house in Chiplima and attempt to attack a mission institution were also received from Baraipali.
With sporadic violence the Orissa bandh called by VHP on Monday was âtotalâ in Balasore district. All the business establishments, government offices, patrol pumps and educational institutions remained closed.
Production in some of the factories was hampered as bandh activists prevented the entry of employees and workers. Works inside the defence installations at Chandipur were also paralysed as vehicles carrying scientists and technicians were forced to return.
Fiery protest in State
PHULBANI/BERHAMPUR: A youth at Rupagaon in Kandhmal district was critically injured when a mob set him ablaze after pouring petrol on him.
In Tikabali of the district a woman was set ablaze by an angry mob . As many as 40 churches in Tikabali and Baliguda were ransacked.
Irate mobs set on fire a number of houses of pastors and fathers and members of Christian community as the ambulance carrying the body of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati reached Phulbani town at 6 am on tuesday.
In some places police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse unruly crowds. After the lathi-charge, a mob gheraoed RDC (southern division) Satyabrata Sahoo and Collector Kisan Kumar for an hour.
Due to the volatile situation, curfew, which was relaxed after 8 am, was reimposed at 11.30 am for an indefinite period in the town while prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC has been clamped in the entire district.
For maintaining law and order six companies of CRPF and 24 platoons OSAP have been deployed. Also IG (Intelligence) R.P.Singh, IG S.S.Hansda, DIG (Operations) Arun Sarangi and RDC (southern division) Satyabrata Sahu are camping here and keeping a close watch on the situation.
The bandh was spontaneous and total in southern districts with road communication being snapped throughout Kandhamal, Gajapati, Rayagada, Ganjam districts. Trees were felled and tyres burnt at many places to block the roads.
Bandh was âtotalâ in Berhampur. Even makeshift tea-shops remained closed. At Gosaninuagaon a group of Bajrang Dal activists were attacked by locals. As the activists left their motorcycles and fled the spot, some miscreants set them afire.
Ten houses, a tractor and a jeep were torched at Tikabali while two houses were damaged in Baliguda in Kandhamal district. Even a police jeep was set afire at Khajuripada.
In Jirang in Gajapati district, a church, a generator and two motorcycles were torched. Amid tight police security the mortal remains of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati were given âsamadhiâ at the garden of his ashram at Chakapad on monday evening. Praveen Togadia, international general secretary of VHP, attended the last rites of the Swami.
Angry activists of VHP and Bajrang Dal set afire Padampur church and two houses, barely 200 metres from the police station, at about 11 am forcing police to teargas them during the VHP-sponsored bandh in the district. The protesters initially assembled before the church and set ablaze a police jeep.
They also roughed up a journalist accusing the fraternity of publishing misleading reports. Although fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot, they failed to do much as the protesters deflated the tyres as the police looked helpless. The day began with members of the Saffron brigade blocking NH-6 passing through the district.
Similar reports of vandalism have also been received from Madhupur Missionary Orphanage under Sohela police limits where irate supporters ransacked the chamber of the resident father even as sources said that the terrorised inmates fled the orphanage.
Sources said the agitators damaged statue of Mother Mary and the ladies hostel of the school. Apart from that angry protesters burnt down a prayer hall in Ghadghadimal under Gaiselet block, burnt Bible in Gourpada under Gobhaga police limits and set on fire an abandoned Catholic church in village Bisipali between Bargarh and Sohela along NH-6.
Bargarh SP Ashok Biswal said police were holding dialogue with the protesters at Padampur when some unruly elements began pelting stones and set afire the police jeep.
A Roman Catholic cemetery was damaged by an irate mob in Sambalpur town. The security forces resorted to lathicharge to disperse an unruly mob when the latter began pelting stones at the Oriya Baptist Church near G M College.
Reports of burning of a mobike belonging to a pastor Pravakar Munna, ransacking of a prayer house in Chiplima and attempt to attack a mission institution were also received from Baraipali.
With sporadic violence the Orissa bandh called by VHP on Monday was âtotalâ in Balasore district. All the business establishments, government offices, patrol pumps and educational institutions remained closed.
Production in some of the factories was hampered as bandh activists prevented the entry of employees and workers. Works inside the defence installations at Chandipur were also paralysed as vehicles carrying scientists and technicians were forced to return.