Day after clashes, bandh enforced in Medak town, police presence stepped up

Cops take BJP district president Gaddam Srinivas, town president Nayani Prasad, several other leaders from clashing groups into custody to restore normalcy

Medak: A day after a communal clash broke out over the transportation of cows in Medak town, a huge contingent of police stood ground in the town, ensuring there were no more untoward incidents even as the situation continued to remain tense.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) enforced a bandh in Medak town on Sunday in the wake of the clash between two religious groups on Saturday night, the police managed to restore peace by deploying huge numbers of police personnel.

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IG multi-zone-I AV Ranganath, who reached Medak on Saturday night itself, stayed put in Medak and mobilised the police force from other districts. Since Bakrid would be celebrated on Monday, the police are keeping strict vigil across the town. Except for emergency services, all commercial establishments remained closed until evening on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the police took several BJP leaders including the party’s district president Gaddam Srinivas, town president Nayani Prasad and others into preventive custody.

Ranganath said the police had identified nearly 45 persons involved in the clash from both sides. Since the police had video evidence of the people involved in the clash, Ranganath said all those involved would be booked soon.

Speaking to news reporters on Sunday, Ranganath said nobody would be let off. Some people were spreading falsehood that the police were acting against one group favouring the other, he said, dismissing such theories and said people should however, bring the transportation of cows to the notice of the police instead of taking the law into their own hands.

The police were also keeping a strict vigil to check cow transportation across the State, Ranganath said, adding that several common people suffered due to the clash on Saturday.

Some people had targeted business establishments of a certain section people by pelting stones at their shops. The IG assured to bring everyone to book for taking the law into their own hands.

Meanwhile, the condition of Arun, who received a stab injury during Saturday’s clash, was stated to be stable.