Life limping back to normal in Asansol, prohibitory orders in force

Prohibitory orders remained in force and internet services suspended for the third day today even as life was limping back to normal in this industrial town of West Bengal, official sources said.

There was no fresh incident of violence but the prohibitory orders were in force in Asansol as tension prevailed in the northern parts of the town, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) P Roychowdhury said.

Internet services would remain suspended till April 4, he added.

Prohibitory orders under section 144, CrPC were clamped in the Asansol-Raniganj area and internet services were suspended on Wednesday.

Roychowdhury said the police staged a route march in the town to instill a sense of security among the people.

Shops and markets, however, opened and vehicles plied in the southern parts of the town, he added.

State BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu said a delegation of party leaders would visit Raniganj and Asansol, which had recently witnessed clashes between two groups over Ram Navami processions.

The BJP delegation would visit the troubled areas to assess the situation and submit its report to party president Amit Shah, he added.

The four-member delegation would comprise BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain, party MPs Roopa Ganguly and O P Mathur and senior leader V D Ram, Basu said.

"The dates are yet to be finalised, but they will visit Raniganj either tomorrow or the day after," he added.

Reacting to the proposed visit of the BJP delegation, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Asansol Municipal Corporation mayor Jitendra Tiwari alleged that the leaders of the saffron party wanted to visit the area to incite violence in order to divide the people on religious lines.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had held a high-level meeting at the secretariat in Kolkata yesterday, after returning from New Delhi, to review the situation in the Asansol-Raniganj area. The chief secretary, the home secretary, the director general of police (DGP) and the ADGP (law and order) were present at the meeting.

One person was killed and two police officers were injured in the violence that had erupted in the area on Sunday and Monday.

The Imam of Noorani Masjid, Imdatullah Rashid, had yesterday said his younger son was killed in the violence and that his body was found on Wednesday night, but he had not filed any police complaint in this regard.

He had also appealed to the people to restore peace in the area.

There was no confirmation from the police about the death of the Imam's son.

Union minister Babul Supriyo had last night said two FIRs were lodged against him by the police, following which he also filed a complaint against the men in uniform.

Supriyo and state BJP Mahila Morcha president Locket Chatterjee were stopped by the police from entering the Asansol-Raniganj area yesterday.

A scuffle had ensued between BJP supporters and the police when the Union minister tried to enter Asansol, his Lok Sabha constituency.

State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee had accused the BJP of trying to destroy peace and communal harmony in the state.

"When police is patrolling the area, why do they want to visit Raniganj? Are they not satisfied after unleashing violence for the last two days ?" he had said.