Jaipur curfew relaxed – the Pink City returns to life
The otherwise bustling and busy walled Pink City bears a deserted look since Friday due to the ongoing Jaipur curfew. Policemen and security personnel patrol the streets and markets otherwise packed with rickshaw-wallas, shoppers, tourist and local vendors. However, the curfew imposed on Friday, September 8th in Ramganj, Subhash Chowk, Manak Chowk and Galta Gate is slowly being relaxed as the city slowly returns to life.
On Friday night, clashes broke out between a mob and the cops due to a dispute between a couple and policeman. The angry mobs pelted stones at the Ramganj police station, damaged two dozen vehicles and torched four others, including an ambulance and a police vehicle, besides setting ablaze a power sub-station. The incident also took the life of two and injured 11, including six policemen.
Till Sunday there was no relaxation in curfew due to concerns over law and order in these areas of the city, but the administration made sure to provide services so to people inside the walled city. “On Tuesday, curfew was relaxed from noon to 6pm during which everything was peaceful. Internet services are still suspended inside the Walled City and areas coming under a few other police stations,” said deputy commissioner of police, north, Satyendra Singh.
The Pink City’s popular tourist sites like Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar remained deserted as tourists chose to stay away from the place. As the tension eased in the city, for some hours the locals came out on the streets to stock up on essential supplies and long queues were observed at medical shops, grocery stores and hospitals. The curfew was relaxed on Monday for few hours as well. The Jaipur Police said that they are yet to take any decision regarding when to lift the curfew and will do so only after sincere deliberations and thorough analysis of the situation.
