Prohibitory orders continue in Telangana town

Hyderabad, March 22: Prohibitory orders continued in Telangana's Bodhan town where two groups clashed on Sunday after a row over installation of Shivaji's statue. Police said the situation remained peaceful in the town in Nizamabad district. No untoward incident was reported after Sunday's incident.

The bandh call given by BJP and some Hindu groups on Monday passed off peacefully. However, additional forces remained deployed in the town while prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Cr PC continued. Police personnel remained deployed at Ambedkar crossroads where installation of Shivaji's statue sparked tension and led to a clash between two groups. Police had resorted to lathi charge and used teargas to disperse the clashing groups.

Police have erected barricades around the statue. Nobody is being allowed in an area of 300 meters around the statue. Meanwhile, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao slammed the BJP for its attempts to foment trouble in the name of Shivaji. Replying to a query at a news conference on Monday evening, he condemned the attempts to create law and order problems.

"Their aim is to install statue of Shivaji Maharaj or some Maharaj without taking permission from the municipality and thus create trouble. Goondagardi hai kiya," asked an angry KCR. "Who doesn't respect Shivaji in this country. We respect him the most. You install not just a six-feet tall but 60-feet tall statue. Who is stopping you but don't do politics in the name of Shivaji," the CM said. "If Shivaji was alive he would have committed suicide seeing this situation," remarked KCR.