Thirty-five people, including 12 policemen, were today injured and several vehicles damaged as locals clashed with police over alleged inadequate arrangements for immersion of idols of Goddess Durga in Ugapur canal in Aurai area here.
The locals who arrived in processions with about 250 idols for immersion at the canal complained of lack of proper arrangements and refused to immerse the idols saying there is no proper lighting, road or enough water for immersion in the canal.
District Police Superintendent Vikramaditya Sachan said that following court orders not to allow immersion of idols in Ganga, alternative arrangements had been made for it in the canal. Earlier the immersion used to take place in the Ganga at Chilhghat, he said.
The SP said that some people from Jaunpur district who had come here for idol immersion and were part of the procession instigated the locals to take the idols to the old immersion site citing lack of arrangements.
It was when they started moving towards the old immersion site in the river and were stopped from proceeding that they started pelting stones at the police party, the SP said, adding police also resorted to lathi charge to control the situation leading to chaos and injuries to about 12 policemen and 20 from among the locals.
One among the injured is said to be serious, he said, adding that, the mob also set a police van, a fire tender, a roadways bus and private vehicle ablaze besides damaging eight to ten other vehicles.
Later District Magistrate Naterndra Shankar and the SP rushed to the spot and pacified the locals to immerse the idols in the canal and restored peace and order.
