Our Bureau

Bhagalpur : Residents at Bhagalpur smart city heaved a sigh of relief after net services resumed this forenoon today. District administration here on April 9 restricted access to internet services to prevent communal tension.

Tension accelerated in the city after some objectionable items were found in front of a temple which is falling under the jurisdiction of   Mujahidpur police station here, early Sunday.

Irate mob blocked the main Bhagalpur-Bounsi road by burning tyres and hooliganism broke out on the areas. Uploading of photos and video clips in the social media were also largely get viral,     police sources pointed out . Timely intervention by police saved the situation from worsening, claimed senior superintendent of police, Manoj Kumar. He also pointed out that  additional security forces from the neighbouring Munger district had been deputed in the city to maintain law and order situation.

Police sources claimed that in order to counter rumours on the social  media sites, internet service had to be restricted. “Soon with the incident, the entire episode not only turned viral on the social medias but many had started very objectionable comments which may destroy the social fabrics here. We apprehended anything worst at that time,” pointed out a senior cop here. The officer justified police’s strategy to shut down the internet services for preventing escalating of rumours into public minds through the social medias.

However, the step of the police here somehow managed to prevent such remours but the disruption of internet services was an act against larger interest of people here, alleged many. “I have some important works and my clients who were from abroad have been staying at a hotel here for the last three days for completing some of their works. I could not do anything for them without the internet service,” said a software engineer here. Banking, business, stoke exchange works, medical consultancy along with many important works related to internet services were badly disrupted here. “The entire episode has shown the utter failure of the administration, instead of countering such hooliganism, it cracked down on internet services,” alleged many here.

Similarly, Forbesganj in Seemanchal had to face similar situation when police  had to cane-charged a stone pelting mob as protests broke out on Monday there following a clash between two groups over an alleged incident of eve-teasing on Sunday.

According to police sources from Forbesganj , a  Facebook post had led to violence and an irate mob had gheraoed Forbesganj police station, leading to the arrest of the boy. Some cops speculated the protests could be related to the arrest of a boy for an allegedly derogatory post on the social media site Facebook on April 7. The sources however said that a police initiated a peace committee meeting to defuse tension.

Meanwhile police both at Bhagalpur and Forbesganj has put many mobile numbers under scanner. “We have started investigation and try to find out those who were responsible for spreading objectionable items in social medias,” said a top ranking cop here.

“Ironically such incidents happened when Bihar has started celebrating the centenary of “Gandhi’s ‘Champaran satyagrah’ in 1917”. We especially the youngsters should be very cautious to handle the social media sites. It’s very unfortunate that we became the part of such controversies,” pointed out Dr. Vijay, an eminent social worker here.

“Now the situation is under-control and police are on alert,” claimed a top ranking police here adding heavy deployment of forces had been made at both at Bhagalpur and Forbesganj.