A fresh bout of violence broke out in Jhabua today, leaving one dead and nine injured. The clash started after followers of Asaram Bapu, following a discourse by a Gujarati disciple Krishna Behn, raised provocative slogans outside a school compound in Aambut, sources said.After an initial round of stone-pelting from the school and the church on the compound, the mob dispersed only to reassemble hours later. In the ensuing clash that witnessed gunfire, stone-pelting and the use of bows and arrows, one man was killed. Later, in retaliation, in Alirajpur town, a priest was beaten up and two houses belonging to Christians were torched, the sources added.This is the third such incident within a fortnight in Jhabua. A jeep and two motorcycles were set ablaze at Antarvalia village under Kalyanpur police station in Jhabua on December 30 after a mob attacked a man named Pursan at the village, alleging that he was holding a meeting for the purpose of conversion. Two days ago, a mob comprising VHP activists attacked a Catholic church in Jhabua town following the rape and murder of a child on the mission campus.Chief Minister Uma Bharati today sought to discount any links between the three incidents, saying that the matter should be treated as a law and order issue and will be dealt with firmly. ‘‘Only the latest incident is a cause for worry, but we will make sure there is no fallout of any sort due to this.’’ She, however, added that reports of conversions in Jhabua district have surfaced repeatedly. This activity, she added, cannot be allowed.State DGP S.K. Das said the incident took place at 1 pm today. While he said he was not aware of the exact nature of the slogans raised by the procession taken out after Krishna Behn’s discourse, he added that they were ‘‘provocative’’. Those in the school opposed the shouting of slogans and there was an exchange of words, he said. At around 5 pm, a mob of around 300 persons assembled outside the church and a clash broke out.He said a man named Arjun Pal was killed and nine persons were injured in the firing that came from a .12 bore gun belonging to someone from the Christian community.
