Fresh violence in Orissa

Despite indefinite curfew, fresh communal violence was reported on Wednesday morning from Orissa's riot-hit Kandhamal district with clashes in various places and a church and a former MP's house being attacked.

According to police, hundreds of tribals attacked a church at Sarsalanda village under Sadar police station, about 20 km from Phulbani town. A mob also vented its ire on the home of former MP Sribatsa Digal in Line Pada at Phulbani town, an official of the district intelligence bureau said.

Besides, there were reports of communal clashes from half a dozen places but the details were awaited due to "disruption of communication", the official said.

All these incidents occurred late on Tuesday night despite curfew being imposed in the troubled areas of Baliguda, Daringbadi and Brahmani Gaon as well as at the district headquarters of Phulbani.

Curfew was clamped on Christmas night after one person was allegedly killed and over a dozen injured in clashes between Hindus and Christians in the wake of a shutdown called by the

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to protest an attack on a Hindu leader.
The four-hour shutdown was to protest Monday's attack on the vehicle of local Hindu leader Swami Laxamananda Saraswati near Daringbadi when he was on his way to perform a yagna there.

Saraswati and a person accompanying him were injured and their vehicle partially damaged, district police chief Narasimha Bhol, who is camping in the area, said.

Although more than 1,000 policemen were deployed in sensitive places on Tuesday, people could not reach many of the troubled spots as VHP supporters blocked roads with logs.

"The roads are still blocked and the police are trying to reach the village. The state government has sent para-military forces and extra police force to the region to control the situation. They are on their way," Bhol said.

Courtesy:timesofindia.com
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