Violence-hit Saharanpur tense but under control

Lucknow: A day after clashes between Dalits-Rajputs left one dead, the situation in a violence-hit village in Uttar Pradesh`s Saharanpur district remained tense but under control on Wednesday, an official said.

Home Secretary Mani Prasad Mishra, who is in the team sent by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to Shabbirpur, where over 20 people were also injured in sword attacks, told IANS on the phone that adequate security deployment has been done.

"Situation is under control, we are monitoring everything and will be camping here (at the scene) till normalcy returns," Mishra added.

A team of four officials including the home secretary, Additional Director General (ADG) Law and Order Aditya Mishra, Inspector General (Special Task Force) Amitabh Yash and DG Security Vijay Bhushan were flown down in a special plane to the violence-hit area late on Tuesday night.

The area has been on the boil since April 20, when a clash between the two communities singed the region.

This is the third time in three months that violence has erupted in the Saharanpur village. The latest round came after a visit by Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and Dalit leader Mayawati on Tuesday.

Violence broke out between the communities soon after Mayawati met with the affected Dalit families.

Two persons were injured in the firing, one of whom later succumbed to his injuries.

Power Minister Srikant Sharma, who is also the government spokesman said: "It was expected that the visit of the former Chief Minister (Mayawati)would lead to return of peace but what happened was the reverse."

The state was on high alert following the fresh clashes.

--IANS

md/in