One person was killed and more than a dozen others were injured when two communities clashes over the construction of a platform at a religious place in Azamgarh on Monday night.
The husband of the head of Rasoolpur village was constructing the platform at a religious place in Mohammadpur Bazar when members of the other community objected to it and assaulted him, following which both sides clashed and indulged in heavy brick-batting.
A rampaging mob then damaged around 50 shops and set fire to two motorcycles.
There were also reports of firing in the market, Azamgarh SP Ananth Dev said, adding that 15 - 20 persons were detained. Arrests would be made as per evidence, he said.
Mr. Dev said the situation was now normal even as local markets were shut on Tuesday.
The Station House Officer of Gambhirpur, under whose jurisdiction the incident occurred, was suspended, he added.
Vijay Prasad Yadav (32) succumbed to injuries late on Monday, while two youths who were seriously injured were referred to a hospital in Varanasi.
Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary forces have been deployed in large numbers.
Lashing out at the Samajwadi Party, BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak said the State failed to prevent such incidents due to its "partisan" policies.
"The SP takes decisions based on religion and caste, so such atmospheres are bound to be created," he claimed.
