BHAINSA: Uneasy calm prevailed in the communally-sensitive Bhainsa town in Nirmal district on Monday after it witnessed severe convulsions following an attack on people of one faith by those of another late on Sunday night and the early hours of Monday.
The police, who camped in the town, brought the situation under control, after shutting down Internet services in the entire erstwhile Adilabad district. On Monday evening, they imposed curfew at 7 pm, which would be in force till 7 am on Tuesday.
By nightfall, on the eve of Sankranti, Bhainsa turned into a ghost town, with all the shops shut and no signs of any celebrations. The police, who swung into action after the tensions flared up, arrested about 40 persons from both the faiths and are keeping a tight vigil on the law and order situation.
In 2009, the town witnessed a similar flare up of tensions when the police had to use tear gas shells to quell the rioting mobs.
Now, as the unfortunate development has come just before Sankranti, it has thrown a wet blanket over celebrations, while traders, who expected to make brisk business this festive season, are ruing as they may have to keep their shops shut in view of the town remaining taut with tension.
The trouble started on Sunday night when a group of people organised a religious programme at Sirgapoor village. After its completion, they went to Kurvagalli in Bhainsa town and began hurling stones on the houses of those belonging to another faith. Those who were targeted reciprocated by throwing stones at them while a few others set fire to 17 houses, 23 bikes, one car and two auto-rickshaws at Kurvagalli and Kasbhagalli.
On learning of the trouble, the police rushed to the spot, but were attacked by some miscreants with stones, injuring at least 11 police personnel, including SP C Sheshidhar Raju and DSP Narasing Rao.The police imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the IPC in the town from Monday morning and in the night, they imposed curfew.
Inspector General Y Nagireddy, Karimnagar Range DIG P Pramood Kumar and District Collector M Prashanti visited Bhainsa and inspected the area.
Meanwhile, BJP requested the Telangana State Election Commission (TSEC) to take immediate steps to postpone the election to Bhainsa municipality to a later date from January 22. In a memorandum submitted by the BJP national executive member, N Indrasena Reddy, and others to TSEC Commissioner V Nagi Reddy, they said the postponement of polls was necessary as people were in the grip of fear in the town. They also brought to his notice that the police prevented BJP MPs Soyam Bapu Rao, D Arvind and MLC N Ramachandra Rao from visiting the trouble-torn town.
While this so, MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi condemned the violence and urged the administration to take stringent action against those who were responsible for arson and violence.
Owaisi, who was addressing an election meeting in Medak district, said, “There are bad elements in the State who want to harm the peace in our society. The incident in Bhainsa and the violence is condemnable. It is hard to grasp the fact that such a thing has happened in Telangana, where peace reigns”.