Failure to take timely action against those accused of posting the video resulted in communal tension.
M I Khan reports.
Bihar's Saran district remained tense over a controversial WhatsApp video showing desecration of idols -- which was also posted on Facebook -- for the fourth day on Monday, August 8, with all government and private schools remaining closed and more security forces deployed in the area.
A high alert has also been sounded in Saran's neighbouring districts, Siwan, Gopalganj and Vaishali. Internet services remained suspended in all these districts and all cyber cafes remained shut following a government order.
"The police is keeping a watch on sensitive pockets in these districts following tension," an official at the police headquarters in Patna said.
Saran District Magistrate Dipak Anand told Rediff.com that the situation is fully under control, but some areas are still tense.
"I have canelled the leave of all administrative officials and ordered closure of all government and private schools as a precautionary measure," the DM said.
Another district official, speaking on condition that he would not be identified by name for this report, said an administrative mistake on part of the local police and officials provoked the communal trouble in Saran.
"It all started last Friday (August 5) when some youth of Balha village under the Parsa police station and other youth from Maker village blocked roads to protest the police failure to take action against the persons accused of posting the objectionable video clip on social networking sites, despite a complaint lodged by them," the official said.
Timely action by the local police and officials could have prevented a communal flare-up, he felt.
Trouble spread with an angry mob attacking the houses and shops of people belonging to the minority community on Friday.
"Some youngsters set ablaze the home of the prime accused. Communal tension spread quickly," the official said.
Later, on Friday, violent clashes took places between the two communities and shops and houses were targeted at several places.
Sensing more trouble, the district administration issued prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and suspended Internet services for three days to curb further circulation of the video.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal called a day-long bandh on Saturday that forced all schools, colleges and shops to remain shut. Violent clashes between the two communities were reported in which over a dozen people, including policemen, were injured.
"Vehicles were damaged and the mob attacked police teams, torched shops and tried to set ablaze houses on Saturday," officials said.
Another district police officer alleged that some VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders spread rumours to target the minority community. "Rumours spread by them triggered communal tension," the officer said.
According to the police, Sunday was more or less peaceful, except stray incidents of brick-batting in some pockets in the rural areas.
Saran Superintendent of Police Pankaj Raj said there have been no reports of violent clashes or any untoward incident since Sunday. "We have made heavy security arrangements to ensure peace and check and control anti-social elements," Raj said.
A police team was sent to Bengaluru on Monday to arrest the prime accused in the case.
"A team was sent to Bengaluru after an arrest warrant was issued by the civil court in Chapra, district headquarters of Saran, against the prime accused in the case who allegedly posted that video clip on social networking sites," a district official said.
Earlier, the police arrested two other accused, who allegedly circulated the objectionable video clip among local residents. A local court has remanded both the accused to judicial custody till August 20.
"We are identifying troublemakers and those involved in torching and ransacking shops and damaging public property on the basis of CCTV footage and have appealed to people not to heed rumours," District Magistrate Anand said.
The administration has suspended the Station House Officer at the Maker police station for failing to control clashes last week.
So far, 25 people have been arrested and 15 first information reports have been lodged at different police stations in connection with the communal tension.
IMAGE: Shops torched after clashes between two communities in Saran, Bihar. Photograph: PTI Photo
