3 injured in clash, Phagwara tense

PHAGWARA: Almost nine months after a caste clash in Phagwara between right wing Hindu and Dalit groups, trouble erupted in the town once again on Friday evening. Three persons were injured after members of Valmiki community and supporters of a Shiv Sena leader clashed with another. Later, angry Valmiki community members damaged a police vehicle outside the police station, and a Punjab Roadways on the national highway as passengers watched in horror.

Trouble has been brewing between the two groups for the last few days and police had registered two cross cases. While one case is regarding an attack on the house of a Shiv Sena supporter, Sherry, near Gaushala Road, the other is against him (Sherry) for threatening a Valmiki community member. The simmering tension took a worse turn on Friday evening, when the two groups clashed.

Sources said that while Shiv Sena members injured two Valmiki community members in the attack, the latter also managed to inflict injuries on Shiv Sena leader Inderjit Karwal’s nephew Rahul Karwal and damaged his shop in Baba Gadhia area. Shiv Sena leader Karwal is already in jail in connection with the Hindu-Dalit groups clash in April 13 last year. In the 2018 clash, a Valmiki community youth, Yashwant Bobby, had died of a bullet injury in the head.

On Friday evening, after two Valmiki youths were injured, their his supporters gathered outside the city police station to protest and damaged the vehicle of the Phagwara ASP. Later, around 9pm, they damaged the window panes of a Punjab Roadways bus in Goal Chowk area, when passengers were still inside the vehicle. However, the driver managed to drive the bus away.

Police had a tough time managing the situation and managed to disperse the supporters from both sides. However, police have stepped up vigilance in the town.

Kapurthala SSP Satinder Singh said the three injured youths have been admitted in Civil Hospital, Phagwara. He said that they were gathering details about the incidents and recording statements of both the parties, after which a case would be registered. He claimed the situation was under control.

Last year, on the April 13 night, a clash had erupted when activists of Ambedkar Sena, led by Harbhajan Suman, were putting up a hoarding to name the Goal Chowk as Sanvidhaan Chowk but had run into oppostion by right wing leaders and activists.