Hyderabad, March 29
Indefinite curfew was imposed in several sensitive areas of old Hyderabad following fresh outbreak of
communal clashes today. The curfew orders will be in force in 17 police station limits covering old city which has been in the grip of communal tension for the past two days.
The rival groups pelted each other with stones and attacked shops and vehicles. Rumour-mongers had a field day, spreading panic through SMSes.
As the ugly face of communal hatred came back to haunt the city after several years, the authorities moved in quickly to impose curfew and dispatch additional Central paramilitary forces to control the situation.
The police had to open fire in the air and use teargas shells to disperse the mobs at Shah-Ali-Banda, Moghulpura and Lal Darwaza areas near the historic Charminar and Mecca Masjid.
The fresh bout of clashes came within hours of the Chief Minister K Rosaiah declaring in the Assembly that the situation was under control.
The trouble had started on Sunday in Moosabowli area of the communally sensitive old city following heated exchanges between the two groups over religious flags. The violence then spread to new areas with mobs, armed with stones, sticks and petrol bombs, going berserk.
The miscreants targeted places of worship. The incidents of stabbing and stone pelting were reported from over a dozen areas, leaving around 40 persons injured.
As the issue rocked the Assembly
with the Opposition attacking the Congress government for its inept handling and intelligence failure, Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy said the situation had been brought under control and appealed to the political parties to help in restoration of normalcy. Twenty companies of paramilitary forces and six companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) have been deployed at vulnerable areas, while over 86 persons were arrested for creating trouble.
Meanwhile, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram called up the Chief Minister and inquired about the situation. The Centre also rushed 10 companies of paramilitary forces to the city.
