A dargah

in the Kharjai village, about 18 kms from here, was damaged late on Monday night while a member of the minority community was attacked when he was sleeping at his house in Nava Faliu early on Tuesday morning.

Police officials and Hindu leaders, however, claimed that neither incident was communal in nature, an assertion the Muslims are not ready to accept.

A group of about 50 people damaged the dargah of Haji Hajrat Saiyyed Dastagir, according to a complaint lodged with the Vansda town police station. Hindus claimed the damage was a result of property dispute. The dargah is run by Viraf Ratansha, a Parsi. The complaint, however, names a group of 50 Hindus.

Range IG O P Mathur and Gujarat Congress Pradesh Committee president C D Patel visited the town on Tuesday. While Mathur reviewed the law and order situation, Patel visited the affected localities.

The Peace Committee, comprising members of both communities, met for a while in the evening, but Hindu leaders claimed they could not contact their community members in the villages. They sought time till Wednesday and said the Muslim leaders would be informed three hours in advance.

Meanwhile, an informal boycott of Muslims has started in the town as communal tension has spread to villages. Like the town, all villages are dominated by Hindus. Leaders are indicating that peace will return to the town after the meeting of the peace committee. Both communities accuse each other of starting the trouble and blame outsiders from other communities for the rioting and arson.