Gopalgarh clash: Tension continues, death toll up to 8

Tension continued on Friday in Bharatpur’s Gopalgarh village over a clash between two communities while the death toll rose to eight.

A person injured in the riots on Wednesday died at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur and a body was recovered in Gopalgarh village.

The visit of Rajasthan home minister Shanti Dhariwal, chief secretary Salauddin Ahmed and director general of police HC Meena to the area failed to ease people’s anxieties.

They visited the mosque where firing took place on Wednesday and later interacted with the representatives of the Mev and Gurjar communities when curfew was relaxed for three hours between noon and 3pm.

“We have listened to both the sides and will discuss the matter in Jaipur. The police had to resort to firing to control the situation, which could have gone beyond control,” Dhariwal said.

During curfew relaxation, some shops opened in nearby villages but more than 200 at the Gopalgarh market remained shut and people preferred to stay indoor.

Troopers of the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary and local police are patrolling the area.

Meanwhile, social activists in Delhi asked for a CBI investigation into the police firing.

“Repeated attacks against the minorities have happened because of the patronage of the Ashok Gehlot government and we will take up the issue with the central government,” said Shabnam Hashmi of the Act Now for Harmony and Democracy (ANHAD).

Without speculating on the number of persons killed, the ANHAD press release said it was clear the number of those who died was much higher than the official figure.

With inputs from New Delhi