People of a certain community prevented a Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) encroachment squad from trying to demolish a religious structure located in Kalyannagar in the Fatehgunj area of the city here today.
Several youths of the community who were protesting, tried to commit self immolation by pouring kerosene over their bodies and were detained by the police.
People belonging to the community said that demolition of the religious structure had hurt their religious sentiments and so they burnt an effigy of a VMC official who was monitoring the situation.
Talking to reporters at the site, VMC encroachment squad director Mangesh Jayswal said there was no intention to demolish their religious building and it was "an oversight" by a driver of a VMC vehicle.
Despite razing more than 700 illegal huts in the locality three days ago, affected residents continued to stay there by putting up makeshift arrangements at the spot, he said.
"So we decided to remove them from the area today as these affected residents have already been provided alternative arrangements at Kisanadi and Maneja localities in the city where the VMC has constructed houses for them," he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Municipal Commissioner S K Menat told reporters today that demolition of slums in Indiranagar and Sanjaynagar in the Sama area would start from tomorrow until Saturday.
Residents staying in these slums would be provided alternative arrangements in different localities of the city, Menat said.
