Gujarat shutdown peaceful, but Ahmedabad tense

AHMEDABAD — The Congress-backed 'Gujarat bandh' called by an association of citizens concerned over the mysterious death of two adolescent boys near a spiritual leader's ashram was peaceful yesterday but Ahmedabad where the incident occurred last fortnight remained tense with several localities observing a total shutdown.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government yesterday tried to pacify the protesters by ordering a judicial probe by a retired high court judge but parents of the boys who have been on hunger strike for the past seven days are demanding a CBI inquiry.

Thanks to tight security, especially near Asharam Bapu's riverside hermitage, no clashes between his supporters and local residents were witnessed yesterday. Tension mounted in the city when the bodies of two 11-year-old students of Bapu's residential school were found on the riverbed near the sprawling retreat on July 5.

While the parents claimed that the ashram men had killed the boys the head of one was tonsured — for black magic, the school authorities said the duo had drowned in the river.

Source by khaleejtimes.com