WB: Police stop CPI-M's 'Peace March' in violence hit Dhulagarh

Protesting against the state government's alleged role in controlling communal clash and demanding establishment of peace at Dhulagarh, CPI-M leaders, including party's General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, MP Md. Selim and MLA Sujan Chakraborty, held a rally at Dhulagarh, few km away from the violence hit area.

Following the rally, they took part in a march towards the riot-affected village and setting up barricades, police prevented them from entering the scene.

Earlier on Dec 12, people of two communities were engaged in a clash with each other at a village in West Bengal's Dhulagarh, barely 28 km from state capital Kolkata, over a religious procession to mark the birth anniversary of Holy Prophet.

During the clash, few crude bombs were allegedly hurled by one community, several houses, shops and a temple were reportedly vandalized, locals were looted and motorcycles, cycles and few homes were set on fire.

According to locals, several people were injured after being beaten up by the attackers.

The violence lasted for two more days at the area, which triggered tension at the village, locals alleged.

A heavy police force along with Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed in the area, CrPC section 144 was imposed and few police pickets were set up at the village to control the situation.

Police booked at least 65 people from the area for allegedly creating violence, while all types of movements have been restricted there to maintain law and order, according to reports.

Leaders of BJP and Congress went to Dhulagarh earlier to witness violence hit area's situation and both teams were prevented by the police from entering the village.

Following the violence, SP of Howrah (Rural division), Sabyasachi Raman Mishra, was reportedly replaced by another IPS officer Sumit Kumar.

Meanwhile, West Bengal government has lodged an FIR under non-bailable section against a reporter and cameraman of Zee News for covering the communal violence from ground zero, national news channel's editor, Sudhir Chaudhary, claimed in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)