The curfew clamped on Jodhpur following the communal violence on Id-ul-Fitr earlier this week remained in force for the third consecutive day on Thursday.
The curfew in 10 police station limits of the city was extended till Friday midnight. Of the 211 persons arrested so far on various charges, 60 were granted bail.
The situation in the city was peaceful on Thursday. The district administration organised peace committee meetings in different localities to build trust between the two communities. Police authorities appealed to the people to maintain peace and not believe rumours. Mobile internet services in Jodhpur will remain suspended till further orders.
The Opposition BJP leaders cancelled their plan to hold demonstrations in front of police stations after the administration assured them that all innocent persons arrested earlier would be released. Soorsagar BJP MLA Suryakanta Vyas had alleged that the “real culprits” were not being caught and the youths who had no role in the violence were being apprehended.
Tension in Bhilwara
Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Bhilwara district’s Sanganer town after some unidentified masked men thrashed two persons and set a motorcycle on fire in a Muslim-dominated locality. Additional police force was deployed in the area and internet services were suspended for 24 hours.
Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said in Udipur that Union Home Minister Amit Shah should appoint a committee to probe the root cause behind the clashes that took place in seven States on the pattern of Rajasthan’s Karauli. Mr. Gehlot wondered if the Karauli incident on April 2, when a purported religious procession raised abusive slogans, was an experiment, after which riots were instigated in seven States on Ram Navami.
“We did not allow any violence [to occur] on Ram Navami in Rajasthan... If Amit Shah-Ji has the courage, then he should form a panel headed by a Supreme Court or High Court judge to get to the root cause of the violence,” Mr. Gehlot told reporters. He said all the planning would be exposed by such a committee and no riots would happen in future.
