BARPETA, Oct 20 � The situation in and around Bahari in Barpeta continues to remain tense for the last four days even as a BJP-sponsored 12-hour Barpeta district Bandh was observed today. Though the bandh was by and large peaceful situation in Chenga in the district went almost out of control before noon, and police had to fire several rounds of bullets and teargas shells in the air to disperse the bandh supporters. As reported, three persons were arrested and several others were injured due to police lathicharge.
According to police sources, bandh supporters blocked the busy Barpeta - Chenga -Daulashal-Hajo road since the morning and no traffic was allowed to travel along the road. A numbers of commuters were attacked and injured by the supporters. When the police tried to persuade them to open the road in the interest of the common man, they did not pay any heed to the request and began to pelt stone to the police in which four police personnels and the Superintent of the Police, Barpeta were injured. The injured police personnel are Rahul Mushahary,Ranjan Patowary, Hitesh Khataniar and Mirajul Ali. The police authority said that there was no injury to anybody in the tussle.
However, the local people and the BJP leadership said that it was the administration who ignited the situation today. Chanakya Pathak, president of the BJP, Barpeta district committee, alleged that the police under the direct supervision of the Barpeta SP resorted to beating the innocent people gathered in the Chenga Bazar and the people became more agitated over the police action. He criticised the high handedness of the police both in today's incident and the situation in Bahari on October 17 last. He alleged that police had arrested several persons across the district including three at Chenga and had injured four persons including two women.
Khanin Pathak, vice
president of AASU Barpeta district committee , Chanakya Deka and Pranab Roy were beaten by police and arrested at Chenga while Bharati Pathak, Himani Pathak, Biranjit Harijan and Tajen Das were injured in police lathi-charge. It was only after then that the people gathered in support of the bandh became aggressive and pelted stone at the police team. Pathak also informed that eight persons were also arrested in Barpeta Road.
It may be mentioned here that the volatile situation in Barpeta district erupted on the October 17, the day of Bijaya Dashami over the issue of immersion of the idol of Goddess Durga in Bahari in Barpeta district. According to information available, six of the Puja Committees gathered the idols in an open space in the Bahari Bazar prior to the immersion at Brahmaputra as was done for the last few years. But this time, a section of a people raised objection on the plea that this open ground has been used by them as an Idgah. Later the plan of gathering the Durga idols on that ground was abandoned at the intervention of the district administration and the immersion took place at Bahari at 1 AM midnight after hectic parleys all day long. The district administration convened a meeting with the aggrieved parties yesterday afternoon in which it was decided that the ground in question will not be allowed to be used by anybody for any religious activities and alternative land will be allotted to both the religious group on availability.
BJP had alleged partisan attitude of the administration in the whole episode and had called for a district bandh today.
