Saharanpur calm but tense; officials hope for early normalcy

An eerie calm prevailed in violence-hit villages of Saharanpur on Thursday, a day after two men were killed and over two dozen injured in caste clashes, the police said. District officials said they are hopeful of normalcy to return soon.

Patrolling has been intensified in the region and the police are on the lookout for people suspected to be behind the violence.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), meanwhile, traded charges against each other over the violence.

Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and state BJP President Keshav Prasad Maurya held Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati directly responsible for the clashes and accused her of funding the Bheem Army in the region.

Mayawati snapped back by saying that neither she nor any leader of her party was linked to the Bheem Army -- a regional outfit accused of stoking the fires between the Dalits and the Rajputs.

She also said that it was only during her visit to Saharanpur on Tuesday that she learned of this outfit using the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar and the BSP to exploit the poor Dalits.

Earlier, the state government transferred the Divisional Commissioner and the Deputy Indpector General of Police our of Saharanpur, and flew in new officials to contain the spread of violence.

Mobile internet services and social networking sites have also been blocked in the violence-singed areas. According to the District Magistrate's orders, this got necessitated to block rumours spreading through these means and inciting further violence.

A team of high-ranking officials from the Police and Home Departments is camping in the district to monitor the situation.

Home Secretary Mani Prasad Mishra told IANS that they would be camping there till things completely turn to normal.

The Union Home Ministry has also sought a report from the state government on the Saharanpur violence.

--IANS

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