Maharashtra calm, Parliament isn't

New Delhi/Mumbai: A day after violent Dalit protests across Maharashtra crippled normal life, the state woke up to a calm day.

In Osmanabad, one of the flashpoints of Thursday’s rampage, morning curfew was lifted from 0900 hrs (IST) to 1100 hrs (IST) as also in Pimpri near Pune.

The situation in Nasik was also reported to be calm, but tension was reported in Ulhasnagar and Kalyan in the suburbs of Mumbai.

In Malkapur area near Buldhana in the Vidarbha region, two buses were torched on Friday morning and three people were arrested.

Fourteen people were also arrested in Mumbai for allegedly burning bogies of the Deccan Queen and a local train during protests against the alleged vandalisation of B R Ambedkar's statue in Kanpur, Railway Police said.

"We arrested them for setting the trains afire yesterday, assaulting government servants and causing damage to public property at Ulhasnagar station," Railway Police Commissioner Suresh Khopde said.

The arrested people were local Dalit youths aged 18 to 27 yaers who were rounded up late last night.

Police in Thane also arrested 19 people and detained another 29 for violence in Ulhasnagar town yesterday, district Police Commissioner D Sivanandan said.

Stone-pelting was also reported at Warge in Pune. In Thane, police arrested 14 people on charges of burning the two bogies of Deccan Queen on Friday.

Meanwhile, in Kanpur – the UP city where from the violence began - Arun Valmiki, the youth who was arrested by police on Thursday night for defacing Ambedkar's statue was released.

Protests continued across the city and two vehicles were burnt in the early hours of Friday.

House jolted

The impact of the desecration of Ambedkar's statue in Kanpur was also felt in Parliament on Friday with both Houses adjourning for brief periods following clashes between BSP and SP members.

As soon as the two Houses assembled, BSP members raised the issue and demanded suspension of the Question Hour to allow a discussion on the incident which, they said, had created a law and order problem in Maharashtra and other parts of the country.

In the Lok Sabha, BSP member Brajesh Pathak said four people of the dalit community, who were protesting over the incident, had been killed in Maharashtra.

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Dalits were also being "harassed and insulted," he said.

"The law and order situation is going from bad to worse and culprits have not been brought to book," Pathak said denouncing the arrest of a member of community in Uttar Pradesh on charges of defilement of the statue.

He demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident.

SP members led by Ramjilal Suman strongly contested BSP's charges leading to heated exchanges between them.

At one stage, two SP members trooped into the well protesting certain remarks by BSP members. These remarks were expunged by Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal who was in the chair.

With BSP member raising slogans like "Baba Ambedkar amar rahe" and the uproar continuing, Atwal adjourned the House till 1130 hours.

In the Rajya Sabha, BSP leader Mayawati raised the issue demanding suspension of the Question Hour for a discussion on the Kanpur incident.

She demanded dismissal of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh accusing it of being involved in the incident.

"How can a drunken man belonging to the dalit community, who has been arrested in this connection, ever do such a thing?," she said adding an attempt was being made to divde the dalit community.

Her comments provoked strong reaction from SP members who said the issue should not not be politicised.

SP members, led by Amar Singh, hailed Ambedkar and shouted slogans in his support.

Sensing the mood, the Chair adjourned the House first for 20 minutes till 1130 hours and then again till noon.

(With inputs from Agencies)