From our Correspondent

CHAMATA, Aug 17: Army today continued to stage flag march in Rangia and curfew was relaxed during the day as simmering tension prevailed in the area with Bajrang Dal calling for a dawn-to-dusk bandh in Nalbari, Kamrup (rural) and Baksa tomorrow.

Panic gripped Rangia sub-division after incidence of renewed violence hit Rangia sub-division in which agitators belonging to minority community torched vehicles on NH-31 and set ablaze a Guwahati-bound passenger bus bearing no-AS-01-DD-2034 at Bhatkuchi area yesterday.

Notwithstanding flag march and imposition of prohibitory order, uneasy calm prevailed in Rangiya as people forced themselves in doors all day. Even all the business establishments, offices, educational institutions and transportation remain closed in Rangiya today.

DGP Jayanto N Choudhury told The Sentinel this afternoon over phone that the situation was under control adding no untoward incident was reported from any place.

Kamrup (rural) superintendent of police Partha Sarathi Mahanta said curfew was temporarily withdrawn in Rangiya from 9am  to 5pm on Friday. “We relaxed the curfew only during the day seeing improvement in the situation and also to facilitate Muslim community for their coming Eid-ul-Fitr,” he said.

The SP said the administration imposed Section 144 at Rangiya in Kamrup district and Ghagrapar in Nalbari from today.

Security was kept on alert with routine patrolling by police and CRPF besides the Army in Rangiya, Udiyana, Usuf Nagar, Rangiya Tiniali, Rangiya Railway Station under Kamrup (rural) district and Ghagrapar area under Nalbari district.

Meanwhile, criticizing the Assam government for alleged failure to control ethnic clash and ensure security, Bajrang Dal has called a 12-hour bandh in Nalbari, Kamrup (rural) and Baksa districts tomorrow beginning 5am. The organization in a release said necessary services like hospital was exempted from purview of the bandh.