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Tension in Dangs as govt cracks down on HJM

Tension mounted in south Gujarat as about two dozen people were detained in Ahwa, the district headquarters town in the tribal Dangs district, after they took out a rally this morning protesting against Hindu Jagran Manch president Janubhai Pawar's arrest on charges of ''fanning communal passions''.

Confirming his detention, Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya told UNI that these people were detained as a preventive measure.

Pawar, who was arrested on Thursday night, was released on bail last night. Protesting against the police ''high-handedness'', the HJM gave a call for bandh today in the area following which shops were closed but other institutions functioned normally.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party sources denied reports that 11 office-bearers of the Dangs district BJP unit, including its president Ramesh Choudhary and youth wing chief Vijay Patel, had resigned in support of the HJM.

Reports had suggested that these BJP leaders had resigned protesting against the state government's ''crackdown'' on HJM activists during the last few days.

The state government has declared its resolve not to permit a repeat of last year's communal violence at the time of Christmas and deployed adequate police force in the district.

UNI

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