Maharashtra: Amravati imposes curfew as fresh violence erupts

Amravati: A curfew was imposed in Maharashtra's Amravati on Saturday against the backdrop of back to back incidents of stone-pelting on Friday and Saturday, an official order said.

As per the order issued on Saturday by the Amravati police commissionerate, the curfew has come into effect in the limits of the city and will remain in force till further order is issued.

This order was issued by officiating police commissioner Sandip Patil under sections 144(1), (2), (3) of the CrPc to avoid any untoward incidents.

Except for medical emergencies, people are not allowed to come out of their houses. Similarly, gathering of more than five people is not allowed, it said.

On Saturday morning, a mob hurled stones and damaged shops at various places in Amravati city during a bandh allegedly organised by BJP prompting the police to lathicharge the protesters, an official said.

The bandh (shutdown) was called against Friday's stone-pelting incidents in Amravati during rallies held by Muslim organisations in protest against the Tripura communal violence.

On Friday, over eight thousand people had gathered outside the Amravati district collector's office to submit a memorandum demanding that atrocities against the minority community be stopped, officials had said.

When people were leaving after submitting the memorandum, stone-pelting took place at three places between Chitra Chowk and Cotton Market under the limits of the Kotwali police station.

Kotwali Police has so far registered 11 FIRs under various charges including rioting. Ten persons were arrested. 

Meanwhile, in a veiled attack on opposition BJP, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has said the violence in Amravati and other places is aimed at destabilising the MVA government.

Speaking to reporters on the Amravati violence, Raut said the state government is firm in the saddle and that the real faces of the perpetrators of violence will be exposed soon.

"The violence that is taking place in Maharashtra is aimed at destabilising the MVA government. Raising the bogey of violence, they (Opposition) will meet the state governor and write letters to the Union home ministry claiming that the (law and order) situation in Maharashtra is deteriorating. This will happen in future too. But the state government is firm in the saddle," Raut said.

He said the "real faces" behind this violence will be exposed in the inquiry of the state Home ministry.

The Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress are the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

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