Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma along with two cabinet colleagues on Tuesday visited violence-hit Chhattisgarh's Balodabazar city. Their visit comes a day after an unruly mob set fire to a government office and scores of vehicles during a protest called by the Satnami community. The violent protest broke out over the alleged vandalisation of a religious structure.
The protestors torched more than two dozen cars, around 70 two-wheelers and a government building at the district office premises on Monday. Several police personnel were also injured in stone-pelting.
What triggered violence
According to the police officials, unidentified men vandalized 'jaitkham' or `victory pillar', a sacred symbol on the intervening night of May 15 and 16. The victory pillar is worshipped by the Satnami community, near the holy Amar Gufa at Giroudpuri Dham. Police subsequently arrested three persons in connection with the incident. To protest against the incident, the community called for a demonstration at Dussehra Maidan here on Monday, and also a `gherao' at the collector's office. As the protest led to arson and stone-pelting, the Balodabazar-Bhatapara district administration imposed section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, prohibiting assembly of four or more people in Balodabazar city till June 16.
To take stock of the situation, Deputy CM Sharma, Revenue Minister Tank Ram Verma and Food Minister Dayaldas Baghel visited the district office in the wee hours of Tuesday.
Talking to reporters, Sharma expressed grief over the incident and instructed officials to take strict action against those who took part in the arson.
Many of the damaged vehicles belonged to poor people who had come for work at the government office. Government property was also damaged and documents in the record room were burnt, the deputy CM said.
He also noted that earlier, after leaders of the Satnami community demanded a high-level inquiry, being dissatisfied with the police probe into the damage to 'jaitkham', Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai ordered a judicial inquiry. People of the community expressed satisfaction over it and said they would submit a memorandum expressing gratitude to the CM, but some anti-social elements committed arson during Monday's protest, he claimed.
Visuals of the protest site showed some 50 motorcycles, two dozen cars and the building housing the offices of the Collector and Superintendent of Police damaged due to arson. A fire brigade vehicle was also torched by the mob which was seen clashing with police.
Several people have been taken into custody, police sources said. The influential Satnami community, founded by medieval-era social reformer Baba Ghasidas, represents the largest Scheduled Castes group in Chhattisgarh.
(With PTI inputs)
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