Ahmedabad

March 1 2002

With the communal violence continuing unabated, the Gujarat Government issued shoot-at-sight orders throughout the State and deployed Army in the worst-hit Ahmedabad and some other towns as the death toll in the last two days of rioting rose to over 180.

Nine columns of Army comprising over 3,000 personnel staged a flag march through sensitive areas and took up positions in the city where 27 members of a minority community were burnt to death in their sleep and a police constable was shot dead by a frenzied mob bringing the number of deaths in the commercial capital alone to nearly 115.

The areas where the Army staged flag march included Dariyapur, Shahpur, Shahibaug and Naroda. Police opened fire in some places in the city and in the curfew-bound Vadodara to control rioting mobs.

In the curfew-bound industrial town of Halol, about 45 km from Vadodara, police resorted to firing to disperse a mob setting factories ablaze.

30 companies of paramilitary forces rushed to Ayodhya

Ayodhya

March 1 2002

At least 30 companies of paramilitary forces were rushed to Ayodhya where the VHP's bandh call to protest against the Godhra carnage evoked total response.

Another 70 companies of paramilitary forces will be reaching here during the next two days as part of a "security scheme" devised by the State and Central governments to ensure peace, said Additional District Magistrate N S Patel. Additional forces had been sought to maintain law and order in view of convergence of thousands of people here.

Special emphasis is being laid on the security of the disputed site, Patel said. Security around the site and the approaches leading to it has been stepped up substantially and is being monitored.

Authorities have imposed strict restrictions in Ayodhya and its twin city of Faizabad, including a ban on gathering of more than four people, and on movement of vehicles into and inside Ayodhya. All roads leading to Ayodhya from Lucknow, Rae Bareily, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar and Gorakhpur have been sealed and entry is allowed only to those having valid security clearance.

Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed in Ayodhya and Faizabad. No untoward incident was reported from anywhere, Patel said.

TamilNadu... No response to VHP bandh

Chennai

March 1 2002

The VHP-sponsored nation-wide bandh to protest the killings in Godhra failed to evoke a response in Tamil Nadu and no untoward incident was reported.

Though the VHP held demonstrations in different parts of the State condemning the incident, normal life was not affected and no untoward incident was reported, Director-General of Police B P Nailwal told reporters here.

In Chennai city, a few hundred VHP supporters held a demonstration for a couple of hours, shouting slogans against terrorism and the killing of several `Kar sevaks' in the train incident. "We will not rest until Ram temple is constructed in Ayodhya," the demonstrators said.

Additional police force had been deployed in sensitive places, Nailwal said, adding "we are watching the situation." Official sources said Government offices and educational institutions functioned as usual. Buses, taxis and autorickshaws also operated normally.

Gujarat violence paralyses Parliament of India

New Delhi

March 1 2002

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day today without transacting any business following uproarious scenes over Gujarat killings with the Opposition accusing the Government of failing to control the communal flare-up.

Even before Lok Sabha was called to order, Opposition members shouted anti-Government slogans and RJD demanded resignation of the Government.

Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi's repeated pleas to restore calm went unheeded as Opposition members trooped into the well immediately after obituary references were over.

The Speaker adjourned the House till 12 noon. When the House reassembled, similar scenes were witnessed with Opposition members storming the well again leading to the adjournment of the House for the day.

The scene was no different in the Upper House where Chairman Krishan Kant adjourned the House till 2 p.m. even before resuming his seat when the House met at 11 a.m.

When the House met at 1400 hours, Congress members led by Arjun Singh and Suresh Pachauri were on their feet and were joined by members belonging to RJD, SP and Left parties in expressing anguish over Gujarat killings.

The House was then adjourned for the day.