Several persons were injured when a strong mob, protesting police cane charge on saints during the immersion of the idol of lord Ganesh in river Ganga, took to the streets in Godowlia area paralysing normal traffic leading to a retaliatory action by cops on Monday. By late in the evening, sensing the tension and disquiet spreading to other areas, the administration imposed curfew in the Dashaswamedh, Chowk, Kotwali and luxa police station areas.
Putting up a brave face, DM of Varnasi, Rajmani Yadav claimed that the situation was under control and curfew was imposed to maintain law and order in the city.
On Monday afternoon around 3 pm, after a meeting was addressed by prominent saints at the Town Hall, the huge congregation started the ‘Annay Pratikar Yatra’ and meandered its way towards Dashaswamedh throwing traffic into a disarray. En route, hundreds of traders in the Maidagin and Godowlia areas, downed their shutters to join the march.
Initially the Yatra passed peacefully through congested areas of Bulanala, Nichibagh, Chowk, Bansphatak. But as it inched towards Godowlia, a section of the mob on being stopped, turned violent.
After a heated verbal exchange between the protestors and the police, a scuffle ensued which was dollowed by several rounds of missile hurling by the mob which forced t he cops tpo take evaisve action.
later additional personnel were requisitioned from adjoining police stations, and a retaliatory action followed. The police led by SSP, Akash Kulhari fired tear gas shells to create space for themselves. They then chased and cane charged the mob forcing them to retreat to some distance. In the charge and ensuing stampedede, some journalists, over two dozen protestors and some police personnel and officers were injured.
Clearly agitated by the police action, the incensed mob vented their ire at several vehicles parked in the vicinity and passing by the area. In the process several private cars and some government vehicles were badly damaged and torched. In the meantime, a section of the angry mob hurled a flaming bottle containing petrol at a transformer which caused a major fire in the Godowlia area. Billowing smoke could be seen from several kilometres away. Since the area was choc o bloc with missile flinging protesors and the dfensive police whoi were clearly outnumbered the fire fighters could not make their way to the scsne of fire immediately.
The high octane drama left the entire Old City areas gripped in tension. Heavy police force including PAC jawans and para-military personnel were pressed into service top contain the situation. The sudden situation caused considerable consternation especially to the women devotees who thronged the laxmi Kund and Dashaswamedh ghat for Jiyutpuytrika festival.
Failing to assess the enormity of the congregation and their designs initially and mishandling of the volatile situation, the Varanasi Police and administration were at the receiving end.
Earleir in the 80’s, the city witnessed a similar crowd movement after some gold contraptions were stolen from the famous Kashi Vishwanath temple. Sensing the pressure of the devotees, the state government had taken over the management of the temple to defuse the situation.