PTI

Jaipur, Sep 28: The bandh call given by saffron outfits in Pratapgarh on Sunday affected the normal life as tension mounted in the district after an incident of desecration of an idol of "Ambamata" by some unknown miscreants, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

Activists of Bajrang Dal and VHP protested against the alleged desecration of the idol and put blockades on the highway connecting Chittorgarh and Udaipur, District Collector Prithvi Raj told PTI over the telephone.

After submitting a memorandum to the authorities demanding arrest of miscreants for damaging Ambamata's finger, the protestors left the streets and blockades were removed, Raj said.

Additional forces were deployed at the sensitive places in the Pratapgarh city, he said, adding the prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC have not been promulgated so far as the situation was under control there.

However, due to Sunday the main markets were already closed, he claimed.

Fanatics created flutter after observing this morning that the finger of Ambamata statue was desecrated on Saturday night by some miscreants deliberately, the collector said.

There were probably some children who exploded crackers near the statue which was installed on a wall. Crackers might have caused a minor damage to the statue, he anticipated.

A case has been lodged and police are looking for the miscreants, Raj said.