Chhattisgarh: 60 held in clash over tribal place of worship

As many as 21 policemen were injured in the clash

At least 60 people were arrested on Saturday in connection with the clash between a mob and the police during a rally by the Gondwana Ganatantra Party (GGP) in Chhattisgarh's Kabirdham district, an official said.

As many as 21 policemen, among them Kabirdham Superintendent of Police Lal Umed Singh and Additional Superintendent of Police Manisha Thakur, were injured in the clash that took place in Harmo village under Bhoramdeo police station limits on Friday, the official said. Apart from this, 17 protestors also sustained injuries, he said.

“A total of 200 people were taken into custody in connection with Friday's violence in Harmo village and of them, 160 were released after being served notices. The remaining 60 people, including the GGP's district unit chief J Lingo, were arrested,” SP Lal Umed Singh told PTI. The accused were produced in a local court, which sent them to jail on judicial remand, he said.

A large number of security personnel have been deployed in the village and the situation is under control, the official added. According to the police, the clash erupted over hoisting of a flag at a religious place. The issue pertains to a Gauri-Chaura site in the village where local tribals had been offering prayers to their deity 'Budha Dev' for the last several years, Singh said.

Last year, Lingo, also a tribal, had hoisted the flag of his deity 'Bada Dev', which was not liked by the local tribal group that follows 'Budha Dev'. On February 14, the head of the tribal community, Durge Bhagat from Korba district, performed rituals at the same place during a function held by followers of Budha Dev, after which their flag was hoisted, he said.

On Friday, Lingo held a public meeting in Rajanawagaon in Bhoramdeo, where around 500 GGP workers were present, and they then took out a rally towards Harmo, 5 km away and clashed with the police while trying to remove barricades placed on the route, the SP said. During the clash, protesters threw stones at the police and injured officials. The police burst teargas shells and resorted to lathi charge to disperse the mob, he added.