Parts of Bhopal under curfew after order in favour of RSS-linked trust

BHOPAL: Residents of Madhya Pradesh’s capital woke up to news of curfew in three police station areas — Teela Jamalpura, Hanumanganj and Gautam Nagar — and prohibitory orders under CrPC 144 in 11 other localities on Sunday.
DM Avinash Lavania imposed the curfew and prohibitory orders as a precaution after a trust identified with RSS started building a boundary wall on a piece of land, following an SDM’s order in its favour.The land is claimed to be a graveyard by the MP Waqf Board. However, neither RSS nor MP Waqf Board were directly involved in the decades-long legal feud over possession of the 20,000 sqft plot.
Armed policemen patrolled parts of Old City, which were barricaded off. The curfew came into effect at 9am on Sunday, and will remain in force till further orders. Those engaged in essential services, government employees and candidates appearing in competitive exams are exempted. So are those facing medical emergencies. They can show their ID/admit cards and pass through.
DIG Irshad Wali, collector Lavania and other senior police officers remained at the construction site, ‘Kunjilal ka Bag’, where the boundary wall was being built. In the morning, some people started gathering in Hanumanganj area, but police immediately counselled them, explained the land order, and pacified the situation. The police’s social media monitoring team kept a close watch. Prohibitory order is in force in Shahjehanabad, Chhola Mandir, Talaiya, Nishatpura, Mangalwara, Ashoka Garden, Aishbagh, Jehangirabad, Station Bajaria, Berasia and Nazirabad.
A force of around 5,000 policemen were deployed across the city. As many 2,200 police personnel were deployed in curfew zones and 1,500 cops were deployed in the 11 other locations.
Riot control vehicles, tear-gas squads, two water cannons and camera-fitted vehicles were deployed, along with medical teams and ambulances. Police barricaded off 100 spots, including major traffic junctions.