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| Holy men stir up riots in Delhi – archive | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| New Delhi, November 7Five people were killed when the police opened fire in an attempt to quell unprecedented violence in New Delhi by mobs protesting over delays in imposing a complete ban in India on the slaughter of cows, sacred to Hindus. | New Delhi, November 7Five people were killed when the police opened fire in an attempt to quell unprecedented violence in New Delhi by mobs protesting over delays in imposing a complete ban in India on the slaughter of cows, sacred to Hindus. |
| At least a hundred thousand people, led by sadhus (holy men), ran riot, grappling with the police, burning buildings, and trying to storm Parliament. | At least a hundred thousand people, led by sadhus (holy men), ran riot, grappling with the police, burning buildings, and trying to storm Parliament. |
| There was absolutely no warning by the intelligence services that today’s procession to press for the total ban would lead to trouble. | There was absolutely no warning by the intelligence services that today’s procession to press for the total ban would lead to trouble. |
| It may well be that disorder in Parliament contributed to the violence. A saffron-robed member of the Lower House who is a passionate devotee of cows but no stickler for parliamentary decorum, Swami Rameshwaranand, created so much noise and disorder in the House that he was named and expelled for 10 days. | It may well be that disorder in Parliament contributed to the violence. A saffron-robed member of the Lower House who is a passionate devotee of cows but no stickler for parliamentary decorum, Swami Rameshwaranand, created so much noise and disorder in the House that he was named and expelled for 10 days. |
| Later he turned up at the demonstration, took the microphone, and declared: “What are you doing here? They have turned me out of the House. Go in and teach them a lesson.” A frenzied mob, led by holy men, thereupon stormed the approaches to the Parliament building. | Later he turned up at the demonstration, took the microphone, and declared: “What are you doing here? They have turned me out of the House. Go in and teach them a lesson.” A frenzied mob, led by holy men, thereupon stormed the approaches to the Parliament building. |
| Foiled in this attempt, the mob started throwing stones at the police and burning public buildings – joined by the holy men, some naked and smeared in ashes and mud. Nineteen policemen and 22 demonstrators were taken to hospital. | Foiled in this attempt, the mob started throwing stones at the police and burning public buildings – joined by the holy men, some naked and smeared in ashes and mud. Nineteen policemen and 22 demonstrators were taken to hospital. |
| Nothing during the recent country-wide wave of violence has shocked India’s rulers so much as today’s riots under the nose of Parliament itself. Congress and Opposition members of Parliament said that the entire structure of India was being endangered. | Nothing during the recent country-wide wave of violence has shocked India’s rulers so much as today’s riots under the nose of Parliament itself. Congress and Opposition members of Parliament said that the entire structure of India was being endangered. |
| Minister blamedProminent members of the Executive Committee of the Congress parliamentary party are reported tonight to have demanded the dismissal of Mr Nanda, the Minister for Home Affairs, over his alleged failure to deal with the situation. | Minister blamedProminent members of the Executive Committee of the Congress parliamentary party are reported tonight to have demanded the dismissal of Mr Nanda, the Minister for Home Affairs, over his alleged failure to deal with the situation. |
| The authorities have imposed a 48-hour curfew throughout the city and banned meetings and processions for an indefinite period. Tonight the turmoil appeared to have subsided. | The authorities have imposed a 48-hour curfew throughout the city and banned meetings and processions for an indefinite period. Tonight the turmoil appeared to have subsided. |