Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 8: Minister for Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar today informed the House that on October 4, 2013, at around 2130 hours, District President BJYM, Rajouri, along with his 12-15 associates, went to Shakha Ground located in Nabana Mohalla, Rajouri to make preparations for celebration of their festival. Reportedly, there are two parking slots in the Nabana Mohalla and way to these parking slots passes through Shakha Ground.
He said two youth of one community were on way to the parking slots which had got blocked due to the dumping of material by the youth of other community. On this, some verbal duel took place between the youths of two communities, which was followed by a scuffle which resulted in injury to the two youth of one community. The exact cause of the incident is being investigated.
The Minister said that immediately after getting the news of scuffle, the District Police rushed to the spot, separated the two rival groups thereby not allowing the violence to escalate further. Police registered case FIR No. 521/2013 u/s 307,452,323, 34 RPC at Police Station, Rajouri into the incident.
He said that District Administration took immediate measures and deployed adequate police personnel in the town and also blocked the lanes. The members of one community have demanded action against members of the other community otherwise they would resort to bandh in the town.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made to thwart any designs to disturb the peace. All out efforts are being made to maintain calm and peace in the district.
The Government statement came following the direction from the Speaker on the issue.
Earlier, Speaker said that no wrong signal should go from this House which could further divide people on communal lines.
He said members who raise sensitive issue in the House should ensure that nothing is said which could further disturb the situation.
“Let this House appeal to all people of Rajouri to maintain communal harmony and defeat those who have vested interest to exploit them (people)’, Speaker said.
Earlier before the start of Question-Hour BJP member Jugal Kishore Sharma said there is a bandh in Rajouri for the past three days after there was a clash between some youths of two communities.
He alleged that youths of only one community were being targetted by police.
FIRs were registered against the youths who are now being arrested, he alleged and said that people are now ready to migrate if alleged police attrocities are not stopped. Nobody is ready to listen to people there, he alleged.
The leader of the National Panthers Party (NPP) in the House Harshdev Singh said there is a bandh in Rajouri for the past three days and no official or Minister had visited there to restore confidence of the people.
The PDP member from Darhach constituency Ch Zulfikar in Rajouri district said some vested interest political parties, having eye on 2014 Assembly are trying to communalise the situation in Rajouri.
However, he said, people of the state are intelligent enough to expose these elements.
A ruling National Conference (NC) member from Poonch Haveli Ajaz Ahmad Jan alleged that these (BJP-NPP) members never raised the developmental issues of Rajouri and other areas.
They should not do politics as there is no communal tension in Rajouri and people from both the communities are living in harmony for centuries.
This, however, agitated BJP and NPP members who raised slogans.
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