Six injured in Varanasi clash  

At least six people were injured in a clash which erupted between youths of two communities in Varanasi, police said on Saturday, October 6.

The incident took place near the Kazzakpura railway crossing late on Friday night with reports of stone pelting from both sides.

Tension also spread to nearby localities of Jalalipura, Hanuman Gate and Saraiiya.

Fearing that the clashes could get communal, senior officials led by the District Magistrate (DM) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) soon rushed to the spot with additional police force and brought the situation under control.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) to the SSP, Varanasi, Sarvesh Mishra told IANS that additional police deployment has been made and that the situation was completely normal. "No one has sustained any major injury and things are absolutely normal."

Deployment of huge force in Kazzakpur, Jalalipura, Latsaraya and Hanuman Fatak of Varanasi city on Friday late night after violent clashes between two communities is just a glimpse of what is in stock before Parliamentary elections. Nobody is clear what happened there and why the members of the two communities attacked each other with batons, bars and bricks.

Thirteen people of both sides were admitted to different hospitals after sustaining injuries in the 3-hour long clashes. The crowd dispersed when the Provincial Armed Constabulary, Rapid Action Force and police of 18 police stations took over the area and used force against the rioters.

While some people were baying for each other’s blood, some others were active on social media and whatsapp groups spreading rumour that curfew was imposed there.

“Rumour mongers are trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the city. We will book them under National Security Act. The police is engaged in patrolling in the area”, said Surendra Singh, district magistrate of Varanasi.

Some residents of Kazzakpur have blamed two Bharatiya Janata Party corporators for the clashes. They have told the police that problem started when some people came out of a corporator’s house and started beating a youth of Kazzakpur area near railway crossing. It quickly turned into a clash of two groups when some people rushed there to rescue the youth. Eventually, it snowballed into a full-fledged violence and engulfed the adjoining areas as many groups started attacking each other.

Some others claimed it started when unidentified people thrashed Sonu Sonkar, an auto drive and he called his friends for help.

Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi represents Varanasi in the Parliament.

Anand Kulkarni, Senior Superintendent of Police said, “We are collecting CCTV footage of the incidents to identify the culprits. The cyber cell is keeping a close watch on those spreading hatred in social media.”

“We expect more such incidents in the state before 2019 Parliamentary elections. There are some parties and leaders who can win only by polarizing the voters. They have started their game”, said Dwijendra Tripathi, spokesperson of UP Congress.

(with inputs from Sunita Shahi)