Communal clashes between Muslims and RSS cadres erupted after religious flag burned down.
By TCN Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: Communal flare up continues in Hyderabad even after Eid-ul-Azha, after religious flags were set ablaze in the old city by RSS activists.
In old Sabzi Mandi Tappachabutra area in Karwan, tension was building since Sunday night, a day after Eid, as RSS flag decorated during Durga Puja rally was removed and allegedly smashed by Muslim community members. On Monday night RSS cadre, in organized way, formed a gathering at Zee Point Hotel in the locality and set ablaze Ghous-e-AzamNishan-e- Mubarak (a religious flag of Sufi Muslims), triggering spontaneous clashes as the news of Nishan-e-paak being set ablaze spread like a wild fire.
Police deployment
Miscreants from both communities hurled stones at each other and in the process five shops in the Sabzi Mandi were torched. 10 people, including two police officers and Goshamal ACP, were injured in the clashes.
Soon it became free-for-all, in the midst of slogan shouting both communities fought vehemently to injure each other’s supporters. Police had though time controlling the rioters, as clashes erupted in the narrow by-lanes of the old city. Even fire fighters took four hours to control the fire in the market caused by the miscreants.
Interestingly rapid action force (RAF) was deployed since Sunday evening itself. But strangely the mayhem continued unabated. Heavy contingent of additional police forces were called in, as RAF failed to control the mob.
Burned shop
The situation was brought under control after an hour of street fighting. RAF then conducted a flag march.
Section 144 has been imposed in Hyderabad. Shops, hotels, etc. were forcibly closed down in every sensitive part of city. The clashes were confined to the Sabzi Mandi.
Some Muslim leaders visited the spot where trouble had broken. However, they had to face the ire of community women who came out of their homes mobbed the local MLA of MIM, Afsar Khan and started complaining about police picking up Muslim youths from their houses in the riot prone localities in the middle of the night.
Since last two weeks communal incidents in Hyderabad is at all-time high, in the beginning the apparent reason appeared to be the slaughter of cows during Bakeid, as happened in Musheerabad area few days back.
But as events are unfolding days after the Bakreid the reasons to incite a communal turf in the city appear in abundance for the exploiters.