Lucknow: A state transport corporation bus was burnt and two others damaged as protests by the Sikh community in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district to protest desecration of their holy book turned violent Friday, police said.

Large bands of Sikhs, out on the streets of Katia-Patti and its adjoining Majhola towns indulged in arson and vandalism to mark their protest against the failure of police to track down the culprits who had torn a copy of the holy Guru Granth Sahib and thrown its pages on the main thoroughfare of the town about four days ago.

While initial protests were contained in the wake of reassurances given by the local administration, trouble escalated again Friday after police expressed their helplessness in identifying the guilty.

"We had entrusted the task of investigation to the Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday and I am sure we will get the guilty to book, but people must give the STF some time," Special Director General of Police Brij Lal told IANS here.

Protesters burnt down a state-owned bus, while two other buses were badly damaged in the violence, he said.

The district, situated on the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border, is part of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Varun Gandhi's parliamentary constituency.


 

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The 27th of Ramadan (August 26, 2011 this year), "Laylet al-Qadr" (Night of Power), is one of the holiest nights of the Islamic calendar, the night when the Quran began to be revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Millions from around the world visit the Grand Mosque in Makkah from all over the world and pray over the night.