Thursday, December 1 2005 14:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ghazipur: Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from this town today (Dec 01, 2005), where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers went on a rampage following the death of party MLA Krishnanand Rai even as the mortal remains of the legislator were consigned to flames in Varanasi last night.

Angry BJP workers set ablaze a cloth shop at Salempur crossing in Mohammadabad, Rai's Assembly constituency, this morning, police said here.

The movement of trains via Ghazipur continued to be disrupted owing to torching of railway signals and cabins at Dhondhadih station on the Ghazipur-Ballia section, official sources said.

Transport services on the Ghazipur-Varanasi and Ghazipur-Ballia routes also remained paralysed for the second consecutive day today, they said.

A majority of shops and business establishments in the town remained closed with the streets wearing a deserted look as people preferred to remain indoors, the sources said.

Security personnel, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), continued to patrol the streets of the town to maintain order.

Meanwhile, the mortal remains of Rai were consigned to flames at Manikarnika ghat on the banks of the river Ganga in Varanasi late last night in the presence of a large number of people, including senior BJP leaders. BJP National General Secretary Rajnath Singh and state unit president Kesri Nath Tripathi were among those present.