National

Killing sparks clashes, arson near Surat

AHMEDABAD: Police burst teargas shells and resorted to lathi-charge as incidents of group clashes, arson and stabbing erupted at Kim and Kamrej suburbs of Surat on Wednesday, following the killing of Gau Raksha Samiti president Jaswant Darbar on Tuesday.

Police said a tempo driver from Uttar Pradesh was stabbed and critically wounded at Kim, while a State transport bus driver was attacked and the glasspanes of the bus smashed at the Kamrej cross road. At least four persons suffered injuries when they were hit with lathis and iron pipes after a group went round the shops in Kim to force them to close in response to a bandh call to protest the murder.

At least six roadside cabins, nine trucks and about a dozen motorbikes were set on fire by mobs which also blocked traffic on the national highway at Kamrej.

Pradesh Congress president Bharat Solanki and leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Arjun Modhvadia blamed the government for failure to give protection to the Gau Raksha Samiti activists. They claimed that the police was aware that the Samiti team had gone to Kosambia village following complaints of cow slaughter.

Mr. Solanki and Mr. Modhvadia also alleged that Chief Minister Narendra Modi was trying to take political advantage of the situation.

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