Saharanpur violence: `38 arrested, situation moving towards normalcy`

Zee Media Bureau Lucknow: An uneasy calm prevailed on Sunday in violence-hit Saharanpur where 38 people were arrested as a political blame game erupted with BJP accusing Samajwadi Party of indulging in "vote-bank politics" and Congress blasting the UP government for "lapses". Curfew and shoot-at-sight orders remained in force for the second day in the wake of clashes between two communities over a land dispute with some indulging in arson. "38 persons have been arrested in connection with the incidents of violence," Saharanpur District Magistrate Sandhya Tiwari told reporters. "The situation is moving towards normalcy," she said, adding, three persons were killed in the violence that also left 33 injured. She said 22 shops were gutted or damaged and 15 four- wheelers torched in the incidents. Meanwhile, essential supplies including water, food, ambulance, milk are being provided to the people who are stranded in their houses. Tiwari also said that no new incidents of violence had taken place. Commenting on the issue of land dispute, Tiwari said, "I`m not going into it... The construction is on hold," PTI reported. Meanwhile, a high-level meeting of senior IAS and IPS officials took place to work on a plan to bring the situation under control. Even as the situation continued to be tense in Saharanpur on Sunday, a red alert was been issued in Yamunanagar where movement of buses was been restricted. At least 6,000 para-military forces were rushed to the area after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reportedly spoke to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today. Around 18 companies of additional force including eight of PAC, six of CRPF ,two of RAF and two of ITBP were reportedly deployed in the troubled areas. The clashes started on Friday after a group objected to the construction work by the members of another community. It soon turned violent after both sides indulged in firing, brick-batting and arson, the police said. The district administration on Saturday issued shoot-at-sight orders and imposed curfew under Section 144 after mob indulged in arson. With PTI inputs