Three more persons were burnt alive by rampaging crowds alleged to be Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) cadres and four protesters died when police fired on a mob.
Mob burns alive three, four killed in police firing
BHUBANESHWAR: Three more persons were burnt alive by rampaging crowds alleged to be Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) cadres and four protesters died when police fired on a mob trying to torch churches in Orissa, where attacks continued on Christians for the second consecutive day on Tuesday. The toll in two days of violence has gone up to nine so far.
Around midnight on Monday, protesters torched some houses burning three people alive in Raikia area of Kandhamal district to avenge the murder of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati. The 80-year-old member of the VHP’s central committee was shot dead along with four of his disciples by suspected Maoists last Saturday at his ashram in Kandhamal district.
On Tuesday, at least four people — unconfirmed reports said six — were killed and two others injured when police fired on a mob trying to torch churches and prayer houses at Barkhama in the district. Barkhama had witnessed large-scale communal violence in December 2007.
The police action came in the face of the mob violence, agencies quoted Director
General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda as saying.
Protesters had burnt alive a woman caretaker of an orphanage in Baragarh district and another man in Kandhamal on Monday.
Bhubaneswar Catholic Church sources said attacks on churches continued across the state on Tuesday even as the government deployed two companies of the Rapid Action
Force, six companies of the CRPF and four companies of the state police in the sensitive areas of Kandhamal district in central Orissa, about 320 km west of Bhubaneswar.
People from the minority community have fled to jungles in Kandhamal. According to Father Mrutunjya of the Bhubaneswar Catholic Church, mobs burnt down Badimunda village, under Tikabali police station in Kandhamal, the epicentre of violence.
According to reports, agitators also burnt down a number of roadside dhabas in Nupada and Rayagada districts.
Divisional commissioner (Southern) Satyabrata Sahu said indefinite curfew had been imposed several parts of Kandhamal district, including Phirngia, Tumdibandha, Phulbani, G Udayagiri and Tikabali.
Meanwhile, tension is expected to rise on Wednesday with the VHP deciding to take the urn containing the ashes of Saraswati throughout the state. The VHP wants the government to implement the law against religions conversions more effectively.
The violence continued to dominate the proceeding of the state assembly with the opposition Congress demanding a statement from chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President and senior Congress MLA Jaydev Jena raised this issue on the floor of the House. “The law and order has gone to the dustbin,” he said, adding that the government was encouraging vandalism.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}