Suspected Hindu extremists torch 11 more churches

PHULBANI: Eleven churches and prayer houses were ransacked and torched in several areas of Kandhamal district in Orissa in the early hours on Thursday.

Seven churches and prayer houses were attacked and set afire in Gandapadar, Badahapanga, Bhandarapada, Pisupadar, Masapadar, Minia and Adigara under Phulbani Sadar police station area, police said.

Rev Basant Diggal alleged that he was assaulted and his motorcycle damaged by a group of miscreants in Minia area where vandals went on rampage causing damage to another church.

Similar incidents of ransacking and burning of three more churches and prayer houses took place in Bakingia, Tiangia and Kotaguda, while miscreants triggered a minor blast at another place of worship, police said.

Two days after violence spread in Kandhamal, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday rushed to the riot-torn district for an on-the-spot assessment of situation.

Apart from the Chief Minister, Director General of Police Gopal Nanda and other senior officials also rushed to the affected areas to take stock of the situation, the sources added.

Curfew was relaxed since Wednesday night till 9 am on Thursday in four towns of Baliguda, Daringibadi, Brahmanigaon and Phulbani to enable people to buy essential goods and proceed to work places, District Collector Bhabagrahi Mohapatra said.

Earlier, paramilitary troopers marched through Orissa's riot hit areas. The district administration was talking to people and had constituted a peace committee in the area.

The government on Wednesday rushed two senior bureaucrats, Arabinda Behera and Ashok Meena, both ex-district collectors of Kandhmal, besides moving in three companies of CRPF stationed at Sambalpur, Rayagada and Rourkela to the troubled region.

Also pressed into action were the SPs of neighbouring Gajapati and Boudh districts, along with 20 other police officers.

PTI

400,000 Copies Now in America's Homes

Order your copy of our "Jihad in America!" pamphlet