Over 50 arrests so far; BJP leaders stopped outside the city, protesting outside the city limits.

Dispatch News.

Kawardha. There was an unusual silence on the streets of Kawardha district on the first day of Navratri on Thursday.

An unusual peace prevailed in the Kawardha district of Chhattisgarh on the first day of Navratri on Thursday as curfew continued for the third consecutive day post the riots. 

The police had identified 70 people and arrested around 60 for their alleged involvement in the riots. The police are examining video footage to find others involved in the incident. 

The district administration was not in a mood to relax the curfew given the tense condition prevailing in Kawardha city. The administration will review the situation and take further decisions on the relaxation of curfew.

Many BJP leaders, including former ministers, sat on a dharna outside after being denied entry into the city.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists were protesting the lathi charge on innocent people during the riots. On the other hand, BJP leaders have started protesting against the arrest of the workers.

Former minister Chandrakar said- IG behaving like Congress leaders.

Former ministers Ajay Chandrakar and Shivratan Sharma said that the BJP leaders were going to Kawardha to meet the victims, but the police prevented them from entering the city. In protest, these leaders sat on a dharna on the road itself. Ajay Chandrakar said that IG Vivekanand Sinha is behaving like Congress leaders here. We will complain against Sinha in the Kawardha police station. “We have also come to give arrest in protest against the wrongful arrest of our workers, but we are not being allowed to enter the city,” he said.

The riots have also cast a shadow over the Navratri festival, which began on Thursday. All markets and shops in the district were closed even on Thursday. Unlike previous years, only seven statues were installed. Usually, twenty-five idols are installed every year at different places. This time permission has been given by the administration for only seven places, such as Gupta Mohalla, in front of Janpad office, Karpatri Chowk, Union Chowk, Thakur Para, Bahadurganj Ward and Kailash Nagar. Only three people can accompany the statues. For that, they will have to get a pass from the competent authority.

Jyoti Kalash will burn, but the general public is not allowed.

The district administration has given a conditional exemption to temple committees and Durga Puja committees because of Navratri. After this, Kalash installation and lamp lighting will be done in temples and pandals, but the general public and devotees will not be allowed. The office-bearers of the committee will be able to stay for 24 hours, but with passes issued by the administration.

Maximum 15 persons of temple committee and two persons of Durgotsav committee will be able to stay for lamp lighting and arrangements. They will not be allowed to move out of the premises. Only three authorised pass holders will be able to move from Kawardha Nagar to temple and pandal for management at a time.

The entry of visitors and other persons will be prohibited for Jyoti Kalash Darshan. Only the temple management committee will be responsible for lighting the flame, worship and aarti. No separate arrangement will be made for the seating of spectators in front of the pavilion and the pandal. There will be no banquet, Bhandara, jagrata or cultural programmes. Charanamrit, Bhog and Prasad will also not be distributed.

Speakers will be allowed to be played in PMPO 200 watts in low voice at the time of morning and evening aarti.

Home delivery of worship material, list of shopkeepers released.

Puja material can be procured only through home delivery. The administration has given consent to 14 ration grocery and 6 wholesale grocery shopkeepers for home delivery. 

\Glimpse of developments taking place in Kawardha

Internet services snapped in 3 districts of Chhattisgarh, 70 persons were identified while 59 were arrested in Kawardha riots. According to officials sources, the violence was planned, and the miscreants were called from outside.

Stone pelting, lathi-charge, curfew imposed in Kawardha, cars kept outside houses got vandalized. All educational institutions in Kawardha were closed on Thursday: Given the tension in the city, all online-offline examinations got cancelled.

The police imposed Section 144. Riots erupted over hoisting respective flags by two groups, eight people were injured.