MP: Curfew in parts of Bhopal; Congress alleges aim was to help RSS

The order said a community is carrying out construction in the old city and there is a possibility of opposition by locals

A curfew was imposed on Sunday in three police station limits in Bhopal and prohibitory orders were issued in some other areas in view of a construction work by a community trust in old city area, the measures which the Congess alleged were aimed at helping an organisation linked to the RSS to erect a boundary wall.

Justifying the curfew and prohibition orders, the state BJP said the High Court had decided the land ownership in favour of a trust associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

The order, issued by Bhopal District Magistrate Avinash Lavania, said a community is carrying out construction in the old city and there is a possibility of opposition by locals.

The Madhya Pradesh capital is "sensitive from communal point of view", hence the decision to impose curfew has been taken, the order said.

The curfew has been clamped in Hanumanganj, Tila Jamalpura and Gautam Nagar police station areas of the Old City till further orders, Additional Collector Dilip Yadav said.

Besides, prohibitory orders under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) Section 144 have been imposed in 11 other police station areas-Shahjahanabad, Chhola Mandir, Nishatpura, Talaiya, Mangalwara, Ashoka Garden, Aishbagh, Jahangirabad, Station Bajaria, Berasia and Najirabad.

The curfew and the prohibitory orders, which came into force early morning, will continue till further orders.

Yadav said the construction of the boundary wall on the land in question continued till 7 pm and prohibitoryorders remains in force.

"Atmosphere of peace prevailed in the city," he told reporters.

Deputy Inspector General, Bhopal, Irshad Wali said that police have barricaded these areas and security personnel have been deployed there.

He said a court had issued order in favour of a trust in this two-decade-old dispute.

Meanwhile, a state Congress' media coordinator Narendra Saluja said there was no need to impose curfew for the construction of a boundary wall.

"A curfew has been imposed in three police station areas in the state capital to erect a boundary wall. What was the need to impose a curfew on such a small issue? This shows the failure of the government on the law and order front," he said.

He claimed the curfew was clamped for the construction of a boundary wall on 30,000 sq ft of land owned by an RSS-linked organisation.

Madhya Pradesh BJP Secretary Rajneesh Agarwal said, "Should the administration have to ask the Congress for taking steps to maintain law and order or rely on an intelligence report? The administration has the right to maintain law and order and peace.

"The state government's aim is to maintain peace and goodwill in the state. I think the Congress should not comment unnecessarily in all these matters," he said.

Agrawal said the district administration only implemented the High Court's order.

He said the HC had decided the land ownership in favour of a trust associated with the RSS.

There is also an office of Sangh nearby.

On the other hand, Abdul Nafees, former secretary of Madhya Pradesh Congress, claimed that the land belongs to a Kabristan (cemetery) but the Waqf Board failed to present the papers in the court in this regard.