Maharashtra: Curfew in Amravati city expanded to four towns as BJP stages protest

Policemen use tear gas to disperse protesters after `Amravati Bandh` turns violent, in Amravati. Pic/PTI

The curfew in Maharashtra's Amravati city was expanded on Sunday to include four more towns in the district after local BJP leaders staged a protest during a bandh, police said. Meanwhile, a total of 50 people were arrested by the police in connection with back to back incidents of stone-pelting that took place in Amravati city on Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday, the situation in Amravati remained peaceful as eight battalions of the SRPF (State Reserve Police Force) and additional number of police personnel from various districts were deployed in the city, district guardian minister Yashomati Thakur said. On Saturday, a curfew was clamped in Amravati city in east Maharashtra for four days and Internet services were shut down after a mob hurled stones at shops during a bandh (shut-down) allegedly organised by local BJP workers in protest against the rallies organised by Muslim organisations the day before to condemn the recent violence in Tripura, police had said.

On Friday, stone-pelting was reported during rallies taken out by Muslim organisations in Amravati, Nanded, Malegaon (in Nashik district), Washim and Yavatmal. "The situation is under control in Amravati as eight battalions of the SRPF and extra police force from Jalna, Nagpur, Wardha and Buldhana districts remains deployed," she said, adding that a march was taken out by the police this evening in sensitive areas of Amravati city. Meanwhile, a bandh was observed by BJP in rural parts of Amravati.

Police have detained former Maharashtra agriculture minister Anil Bonde, MLC Pravin Pote and Amravati rural BJP president Nivedita Chaudhari for taking out a rally in protest against Friday's stone-pelting. A total of eight BJP activists were detained in Warud and Shendurjanaghat villages for raising slogans. The curfew is now expanded to cover Morshi, Warud, Achalpur and Anjangaon Surji towns of the Amravati district, a police official said.

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