By TCN Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: As city was breathing though peace and normalcy in old Hyderabad, communal clashes broke out once again last night between Hindus and Muslims creating mild tension again in the city.
At 11:30 p.m. in the night a Muslim religious flag ‘Chilla Mubarak’ was set ablaze by some miscreants in communal sensitive area of Sultan Shahi. It was claimed by the other community that act was not intentional and it occurred due to fire crackers.
Police restoring to lathi charge
Soon members from both the communities arrived on the scene and verbal arguments turned into violent clashes with both communities resorted to stone pelting at each other. Rapid Action Force which was already deployed in old city was rushed to the spot to control the mob.
But the damage to the sensitive environment was already done, as soon as the news of burning of religious flag was spread in the neighboring Muslim localities, like Moghulpura, Harli Bowli and Gowlipura people started to gather on the streets and started protesting against the deployed police by raising slogans and throwing stones.
RAF retaliated to control the mob by lathi charge and firing tear gas shells, many people were injured in the process. Majlis-e-Itehadul Muslimeen MLAs were seen pacifying the agitated crowd.
Police firing tear gas shells
Para-military forces are now deployed in all the communal sensitive areas of old city. This fresh communal violence incident has again brought Hyderabad on edge which is struggling to maintain peace since the Bhagya Lakshmi Mandir adjacent to Charminar issue and its illegal expansion have become a flash point.
But this latest communal violence was not just the result of setting ablaze a religious flag. Tension was mounting among both the communities since early morning yesterday. Three tiny mandirs at Falaknuma fly over were damaged which created mild tension but police immediately repaired all three mandirs and pacified the agitated Hindus.
In the afternoon Muslims made protest demonstration at SRT colony Rein bazar when locals found out that Holy Quran pages were used for making fire crackers. Rein Bazar police has registered a case for hurting religious sentiments after receiving complain from local MIM councilor.