There was trouble in Forbesganj town of Bihar’s Araria district on Saturday, after protesters turned violent and indulged in arson, targeting a peace march by local leaders and administration.
According to Forbesganj MLA Padam Parag Rai Renu, from the Bharatiya Janata Party, there was anger among shopkeepers and traders, whose shops were attacked during a Muharram procession on Friday.
“Some shops which remained open during the Muharram procession were attacked and ransacked. Angry over the incident, people came out in protest on the streets and roads in three places. At the Subhash chowk, near a railway crossing, the protests took a grim turn. To ease the tension, the district administration had proposed a ‘ Shanti [peace] March’ and urged us to broker peace. A delegation of local MPs and MLAs tried to appease the protesters, but they turned violent. They burnt tyres and threw stones,” Mr. Rai told The Hindu .
“The MP and MLA, who went to persuade the agitators, themselves sustained injuries. The situation now is under control,” S.K. Bhardwaj, Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order told The Hindu .
