Dhubri, Oct. 27: Namaz was offered amid tight security during the Id-uz-Zoha celebrations at the three mosques and idgahs here today.
Though a large number of Muslims offered namaz, prayed for peace and amity and exchanged greetings, the fervour and spirit of the annual celebration was strikingly missing owing to the recent law and order disturbances and imposition of curfew since Wednesday.
Though curfew was relaxed from 9am to 4pm in view of the festival, shops in the market kept the shutters down for the second day in a row, creating apprehensions about Lakshmi Puja on Monday.
A BJP team, led by MP Rajen Gohain and a host of party leaders, visited the riot-hit areas here today and took stock of the situation.
Gohain, accompanied by BJP state vice-president Siddhartha Bhattacharyya, state treasurer Bijay Kumar Gupta and Dhubri district party president Bimal Oswal, visited Subhash Nagar, Railway Guards' Colony, Ghose Para, IG Road and No. 3 Balurchar and interacted with families of riot victims.
Later, talking to reporters at a news conference at the party office near Sri Sri Jogomaya Ghat, Gohain said the attacks were premeditated and many families had lost everything, as the perpetrators not only harmed people but also decamped with valuables.
He alleged that not only the Rapid Action Force but even police pickets were withdrawn from the communally sensitive and vulnerable areas here just three days ahead of Durga Puja. "It is our constitutional right to demand protection of our lives and property and it is a constitutional obligation of the government to provide it, or else people will loss faith in this system of governance."
BJP state treasurer Bijay Kumar Gupta said their visit was to assess the situation physically and that they would go back to Guwahati and meet chief minister Tarun Gogoi to apprise him about the status of people here.
Prayers: Chief minister Tarun Gogoi offered Id-uz-Zoha prayers at Rajdhani Masjid in Guwahati today. He appealed to all to uphold the tradition of amity, brotherhood and communal harmony in society.
He also announced a Rs 50lakh grant for the Rajdhani Masjid library-cum-research centre and auditorium, the construction of which is slated to start soon.