Three killed in police firing after communal clashes in Hyderabad, curfew imposed
he trouble spot is contiguous to the communally sensitive Old City localities of Hyderabad.
Three men died in police firing following communal clashes near the Sikh Chawni locality in the Kishan Bagh area south of Hyderabad on Wednesday. Police opened fire to disperse rioting groups and imposed curfew in the entire Rajendranagar police station limits soon after to prevent the tension and violence from escalating and spreading to other areas. The trouble spot is contiguous to the communally sensitive Old City localities of Hyderabad.
Trouble erupted after
some residents of the Sikh Chawni discovered that suspected miscreants, who belong to the adjacent Muslim neighbourhood, had burnt one of their religious flags early on Wednesday. Warring groups from both sides gathered after two Muslim youth were attacked in retaliation for the burning of the flag. Police arrived as tensions deepened but even before they could pacify both groups began pelting stones at one another. Attacks on houses and arson followed. When the situation spun out of control the police opened fire to quell the rioters.
In the violence, three persons were killed and 17 others, including ten police personnel, were injured in the pelting of stones. At least ten vehicles, cars and two wheelers, were set afire and a few shops and houses besides a video camera vehicle of the Cyberabad police was attacked even as the police struggled to contain the clashes.
Apprehensive of the violence spreading to other areas the police imposed curfew in the Rajendranagar police station area and stepped up vigil in all sensitive areas of the Old City. Contingents of the armed police and para military forces brought to Hyderabad for election security were deployed to thwart any signs of trouble brewing in the city. Patrolling has also been stepped up in the interior areas of the Old City.
"We are ensuring that it does not have any other and further repercussions. We are ensuring that there is peace and tranquility in the city. Patrolling vehicles are on the move to maintain law and order. We will ensure that no further incidents taken place," said the Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma.
Victims of the mayhem alleged that the assailants armed with swords and knives entered their houses and attacked them. They alleged police opened fire without using teargas or batons. Some of the trouble makers were taken into custody, police pickets have been set up and certain areas barricaded to prevent spread of violence. "The police did precious little to contain and put an end to the violence in a systematic manner. Instead it resorted to a knee jerk reaction - firing on the rioters," complained the All India Majlis - e - Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi.
The police have a different version of the developments. "Around 1,000 members from both sides indulged in clashes. As lathi- charge proved ineffective, police warned the clashing groups and opened fire. Curfew has been imposed indefinitely and Section 144 Crpc banning the assembly of four or more persons clamped in Rajendranagar police state area under Cyberabad Police Commissionerate," explained a senior police official. By dusk, tension had not eased though stepped up security ensured that the situation was under control.
Tension between the
Deccani Sikhs and the Muslims living in the area is not new. In 2006, one person was killed and several injured in a similar communal clash.
Three killed in police firing after communal clashes in Hyderabad, curfew imposed : South, News - India Today
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I love the political correctness of the Indian media.
This magazine has thrown in the word "Sikh" very inconspicuously and never clearly indicated the communities involved, though it leaves no doubt that Muslims have died and thereby indicating obliquely that Muslims were involved. The statement that 'suspected miscreants, who belong to the adjacent Muslim neighbourhood, in no way with credence establish that it is the Muslims who did it.
The TELEGRAPH is more disingenuous since they obfuscate with the term that is used for Hindu Muslim clashes - two communities.
The trouble started when some people found the religious flag half-burnt atop a place of worship, after which mobs from two communities started throwing stones at each other, the police said.
Hyderabad clashes leave three dead
In fact, I remained confused till I read TOI
3 die as cops fire on rioters in Hyderabad
The violence took place in Sikh Chawni and Arsh Mahal areas of Kishanbagh. At the centre of the clashes is a hillock on one side of which is Sikh Chawni inhabited by a very large Sikh population and on the other side is Arsh Mahal, a Muslim-dominated locality.
Trouble began around 6.15am on Wednesday when a religious flag on a hillock occupied by Sikhs was reportedly found burnt. Soon, a large number of Sikhs armed with swords, kirpans and lathis went to Arsh Mahal area and confronted the residents. In the ensuing violence, around 10 houses and shops were burnt and several motorcycles, autorickshaws and cars damaged. Five Muslims were wounded in these clashes.
By 7am, cops from Rajendranagar headed by ACP Muthyam Reddy reached the spot after requesting the BSF company to join them. Before agreeing to disperse, the Sikhs insisted on replacing their burnt flag.
Thinking this would end the strife, the cops allowed them to replace the flag. Meanwhile, more cops headed by Cyberabad joint commissioner Y Gangadhar arrived at the spot.
By 8 am, around 200 Sikhs gathered on the hillock, where the flag flew, to paint the burnt flagpole and replace the standard. As some were carrying swords, Muslims who were attacked earlier thought another strike was on the cards. A very large group of Muslims then marched towards the hillock to confront the Sikhs. However, on seeing their large numbers — there were 1,000 people from both the groups — the cops stopped the Muslims from going up the hillock.
At this, the mob grew furious and began pelting the cops with stones and raising slogans against the Sikhs. Soon, slogan-shouting Sikhs too began pelting stones. The police got caught between their missiles.
When the situation worsened with arson and looting, Cyberabad cops ordered the BSF personnel to fire at the mob which was surging towards the graveyard abutting the hillock around 9.30 am, but did not tell them to fire on their legs or in the air.
3 die as cops fire on rioters in Hyderabad - The Times of India
Interestingly,
Sikh body shows concerns over Sikh-Muslim clash in Hyderabad
Dal Khalsa expressed deep concern over the violent clash between members of minority communities namely Sikhs and Muslims in Hyderabad.
Expressing grief over the killings in the clash, party spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said as per reports clash erupted in kishanbagh area of Hyderabad's old City after miscreants burnt a Nishan Sahib (religious flag) in the early hours of Wednesday.......
He said certain miscreants were spreading rumours on social media to vitiate atmosphere and create more bad blood. He said it looks the miscreants associated with RSS/BJP was cashing on the clash and spreading the propaganda to create further animosity between both the minorities. He said as per Sikhs of Hyderabad the propaganda being spread on social media and whatsup at local level was that Muslims has attacked Sardars because they were angry as Sikhs did not vote for Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen (MIM) party and rather supported the BJP.
Sikh body shows concerns over Sikh-Muslim clash in Hyderabad-|-Sikh Siyasat News
It maybe recollected that Dal Khalsa is a political organization of the Sikh nation, based in the city of Amritsar (Punjab). The primary aim of Dal Khalsa is to achieve the independence of the Punjabi-speaking Sikh majority region of North West India through peaceful and democratic means in order to establish a sovereign Sikh state, Khalistan.
It is time to for all Indians to catch the bull by the horns and be honest to ourselves and our conscience.
We must see reality and not be coy and cute and indulge in pious platitudes.
