Flag march in Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Shamli, death toll goes up to 26, snipers fire at jawans

Muzaffarnagar/Lucknow: Fifteen more people were killed Sunday on the second day of rioting in Muzaffarnagar, taking the toll to 26. At one place, miscreants fired upon army jawans who retaliated. Indefinite curfew is in force in Muzaffarnagar and Shamli.Additional director general of police (law and order), Arun Kumar told reporters in Muzaffarnagar that the death toll has gone up to 26. So far, 52 persons have been rounded up. Ten army columns have been deployed in riot-affected areas of Muzaffarnagar district. Army help was sought by Muzaffarnagar DM on Saturday night. Eight Army columns from Meerut reached Muzaffarnagar early Sunday morning.The army columns conducted a mounted flag march on Sunday morning in Muzaffarnagar, with reports coming in of people fleeing their homes in neighbouring villages out of fear. As violence spread to neighbouring Shamli, one Army column was moved from Meerut to Shamli while one more column was deployed in Meerut to keep mischief makers at bay. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government worked overtime Sunday to douse the communal flare-up.With clashes continuing in the countryside, officials fear the situation would take time to be brought under control and the toll could climb further. Eight companies of army that were requisitioned by the state government to assist the civil administration staged a flag march in the violence-hit areas.At one place, miscreants fired upon the forces from roof tops. The army also retaliated by firing. Shoot-at-sight orders have been given in Shahpur locality of Muzaffarnagar.The state government has sought 28 more companies of para-military forces while the central government had already dispatched 22 companies Saturday. State home secretary Kamal Saxena said extra para-military forces and police reinforcements have been sent to the troubled areas and added that the security forces had been give the go-ahead to open fire if the situation warranted. Saxena also said, intensive patrolling was being done in strife-torn areas like Kalapar, Sisauli, Shahpur, Fugna and Bhaurakala of Muzaffarnagar.Additional DGP (law and order) Arun Kumar said efforts were on to contain the spread of violence. Curfew clamped in Civil Lines, Kotwali and Nai Mandi areas continued Sunday and was unlikely to be eased Monday."As it (violence) is going on in several villages, it is taking time to defuse the situation," Additional Director General of Police Arun Kumar, who took stock of the situation in the affected areas, said on Sunday. Saxena said that adequate force has been deployed in the affected areas and incidents of violence have been reported from Sisauli, Shahpur, Kalapar and Dhaurakala areas of Muzaffarnagar.At one place, Army had to resort to firing after someone opened fire at them, he said.Asked whether shoot-at-sight orders have been given, the Home Secretary said that directives have been issued to control the situation and for that if necessary firing can be done.While curfew remained in force in Civil Lines, Kotwali and Nai Mandi town areas of the district where Army carried out a flag march, violence has now spread to rural areas.ADG Kumar, who was escorted by a massive contingent of security personnel, claimed that only four police station areas were affected.Officials said apart from army, 10,000 Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel, 1300 CRPF men and 1200 Rapid Action Force personnel have been deployed.Apart from Muzaffarnagar, officials said army today staged flag marches in neighbouring Meerut and Shamli districts.In Kutba, seven people were killed and mobs set ablaze a religious place, several shops and vehicles. The other badly affected villages were Shahpur, Bhuvana, Basi Kala.ADG Kumar said there was no information of riots spreading to other districts in the state including sensitive Meerut district. "These are all rumours," he said.However, authorities in Meerut have directed closure of all primary schools and degree colleges as a precautionary measure in view of the situation in Muzaffarnagar.Meanwhile, the Centre has sought a report from Uttar Pradesh government on violence in Muzaffarnagar and directed it to take strong action to curb riots. Union Home Ministry officials are in regular touch with the Uttar Pradesh government and have assured it of all possible help to control violence in the western UP district.Officials sources said in Delhi the Centre has asked the state government to take necessary steps to ensure that communal tension does not spread to other parts of the state.If necessary, steps like preventive arrest and house arrest of those who may create trouble to disturb peace should be taken, the sources said.A high alert has been sounded in neighbouring Uttarakhand also especially in Dehradun, Haridwar and Udhamsingh Nagar districts which border Uttar Pradesh.Condemning the violence in Muzaffarnagar, Muslim clerics cautioned the people against "political conspiracies" aimed at dividing them on religious lines and appealed for peace and harmony in Uttar Pradesh."The Muzaffarnagar violence in condemnable.... For past few days, there were attempts to create tension in western UP.... The violence there is result of political game, which should be exposed," member, All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahli said, appealing to people to ensure that peace is restored.All India Shia Personal Board spokesman Mulana Yasoob Abbas alleged that some "forces" were trying to create divide among religious groups for political gains.Tension has been running high since three persons were killed in Kawal village on August 27 over an eveteasig incident. At least 11 persons, including a TV channel journalist and a photographer, were killed yesterday.The violence had occurred as a meeting was being held in Naglabadhod in defiance of prohibitory orders to demand withdrawal of cases registered in connection with August 27 violence in Kawal.Authorities are trying to identify the people who had provoked the violence during the meeting, an official said.Police said 40 people have been booked at Sekeda police station in connection with the killing of the photographer and holding of the meeting.The UP Home Secretary said that permission was not given for the meeting yesterday but could not reply as to how thousands of people were allowed to gather at the village.He said senior officers including ADG, Law and order Arun Kumar and four IGs are camping in the district.Police said a video of a violent incident which became viral on internet had added to the tension and the UP government today said that the footage was not even of the country.Asking people not to pay heed to rumours, IG, Crime Ashish Gupta told reporters in Lucknow that some unscrupulous elements were using social networking sites and SMSes to spread rumours to create tension."A video is also being circulated through Facebook and other networking sites to create tension. I want to tell you that the said video is probably over two years old and is of some other country. I appeal to people that they should not pay heed to it", Gupta said.Subscribers had a difficult time getting access to Internet services today.The administration has, meanwhile, announced closure of all schools and educational institutions in the district for the next three days. A total of 52 persons have been arrested since Saturday night for inciting mobs and indulging in violence. Cases are also being filed against local political leaders, a district official said.Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav Sunday called an emergency meeting of officials and senior party leaders and expressed his displeasure at the rioting and the the administration's failure in anticipating the communal tension brewing in the area.