FOR the second consecutive day on Thursday, violence and arson went on unchecked in the city and Pimpri-Chinchwad over alleged desecration of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue in Kanpur. Probably for the first time in the twin industrial township’s 36-year-old history, shops, commercial establishments and schools shut down and a 24-hour curfew from 6.30 am on Thursday morning was clamped on 14 localities.
Over 160 people were arrested in Pimpri-Chinchwad and booked for rioting, unlawful assembly, damaging public property and carrying arms. At least 91 buses of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Transport were damaged in the violence and the services were off the roads for most part of the day.
Vehicular traffic on Pune-Mumbai highway was disrupted with people including women and children staging protests on the road and burning a PCMT bus. The police had to fire teargas shells to disperse the mob and extra forces were rushed in to control the situation.
However, arson and looting was witnessed in various parts of Pimpri-Chinchwad and the city with belligerent mob ransacking property - both public and private - and damaging private vehicles that were parked in residential complexes. In some areas, residents and shopkeepers defended their property and warded off the hooligans.
PCMC-run Yeshwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital in-charge Anand Jagdale said 25 people and six policemen were injured in the incidents at various places.
Police commissioner D N Jadhav said Rapid Action Force would be brought in if the situation did not return to normal by Thursday night. “We have also appealed to the politicians not to make provocative statements,” he said. Deputy commissioner of police Chandrashekhar Daithankar held an all-party meeting at Pimpri and sought their help in restoring peace.
Meanwhile in the city, incidents of stoning and vandalising were reported from NIBM Road, Lullanagar, Kondhwa, Hadapsar, Agarkar Colony, Bhavani Peth and Katraj areas. The Regional Transport Office was also forced to close down after an irate mob barged into its offices.
The city wore a deserted look as the Republican Party of India took out protest marches in Pune Cantonment, Wanavdi, Yerawada, Hinjewadi and Chatuhshrungi areas. The Charbavdi police chowky under the Cantonment police station was attacked by a mob when the police detained some youths at the chowky.
PCMT and PMT also suffered huge financial losses as their services were off the roads on Thursday. PCMT general manager Ajit Karche said two buses were completely burnt, while 23 were damaged and they had incurred a loss of Rs 17 lakh. “The decision to ply the buses on Friday will be taken in consultation with the police officials,” he said.
A PMT spokesman said 68 buses had been damaged since Wednesday and they had incurred losses to the tune of Rs 15 lakh. “We also suffered a revenue loss of Rs 30 lakh as 90 per cent of the services were off the roads on Thursday,” he said.
The PMC general body meeting was adjourned and mayor Rajan Tribhuvan and corporators cutting across party lines condemned the incidents.
SOLUTION IN SIGHT: COLLECTOR
District Collector Prabhakar Deshmukh said the authorities were in talk with political parties to resolve the issue. “We are in constant touch with all leaders and they have assured us that the protests will end. A protest was planned for tomorrow (Friday), but that has been postponed after the talks,” he said. Block level meeting with local political leaders were held throughout the district. “They have been very cooperative and we expect things to get normal by tomorrow morning,” Deshmukh added.