Patna: An eastern Bihar town with a predominantly Muslim population was placed under curfew on Tuesday, following widespread protests, after the head of a slaughtered animal was found near a Hindu temple.
The curfew was imposed for 48 hours in Kishanganj town, some 400km east of Patna, as an angry mob went berserk after noticing the slaughtered animal just outside a temple.
Angry residents torched vehicles on the streets, blocked roads and also disrupted railway traffic in protest.
Police officers had a tough time calming down the rampaging crowd.
Against the backdrop of the communal tension, the state government has rushed a company of Rapid Action Force officers to bring the situation under control.
“We have promulgated prohibitory orders in the town but the situation is now under control. There is nothing to worry about,” Bihar’s additional director-general of police Gupteshwar Pandey told the media in Patna.
He said the angry protesters disrupted road and railway traffic for sometime but normal flow had been restored.
As the communal flare-ups boiled, elders from both communities met the district magistrate and urged him to ensure order prevailed.
Only on Monday, violence had erupted in the northern Bihar town of Chapra after police prevented a procession of Hindu devotees from passing through a Muslim-dominated locality.
The had been carrying Durga statues for an immersion ceremony, and had been playing loud music on the way.
Angry crowds then fought a pitched battle with the police, torching six vehicles and pelting officers with stones.
Paramilitary forces were finally deployed in the town to restore normalcy.
