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Digvijay appeals for calm

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL FEB. 19. In view of the call given by the Hindu Jagran Manch for a protest bandh tomorrow in the Dhar-Nimar region of western Madhya Pradesh, the Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh, has urged the people to maintain peace and harmony while asking them to cooperate with the Government in maintaining law and order.

He was addressing a hurriedly called press conference at his residence in here this evening after the Dhar town, near Indore, and its surrounding areas were rocked by clashes between police and groups of Hindu activists mobilised by the Hindu Jagran Manch.

The Chief Minister said that Dhar had been placed under an indefinite curfew and police opened fire at three different places this afternoon to bring mobs under control. Members belonging to the VHP, the Bajrang Dal, the RSS and the BJP had violated prohibitory orders to force their way into Bhojshala.

Tracing the origin of the problem linked with Dhar's Bhojshala, Mr. Singh said that everything was normal till 1994 as Muslims, till that time, were offering prayers there every Friday.

Only after 1994 that some of those linked with the VHP had started reciting the "Hanumanchalisa" at Bhojshala on Tuesdays. This gradually turned Dhar's Bhojshala as the focal point of a Hindu-Muslim dispute.

Subsequently, Mr. Singh said, an agreement was signed by Hindu and Muslim representatives to restrict entry at Bhojshala.

He cited a High Court order turning down a request for quashing the Archaeological Survey of India's order restricting entry.

The Chief Minister said that he had always taken the stand that he would abide by the Central Government's decision on the issue.

It would be the State Government's responsibility to enforce the Centre's decision. Referring to a letter he recently received from the Union Minister, Jagmohan, he said he had referred the matter to the district administration, which had been asked to submit a report on the demand for withdrawal of restrictions on entry to the Bhojshala after convening an all-party meeting.

To a query, Mr. Singh said he would stand by whatever the district administration advises.

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