Rosaiah,Chandra babu Naidu appeal for peace in curfew tensed Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Mar 31: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and Leader of Opposition N. Chandra babu Naidu have appealed to the people to observe discipline following reports of fresh clashes between the two communities in the old city of Hyderabad. Director General of Police (DGP) Girish Kumar said an indefinite curfew has been imposed in the entire south zone area of the city.It has been reported that at least eight persons including two cops were injured as the protestors' pelted stones during a Hanuman Jayanti procession that led to communal clashes in the new areas of the city.The curfew was imposed till 6 p.m. on Tuesday and as a precautionary measure all the shops in Ramagopalpet, Nallagutta, Saleemnagar and Tarnaka were closed down.Meanwhile, the Central Government has rushed in over 1800 troops in the sensitive areas to maintain law and order and restore peace.Over 130 persons, suspected to be involved in the communal clashes, have been taken into custody so far, police added.The Andhra Pradesh Government on Monday ordered deployment of additional security forces in old Hyderabad city where tension prevails; following overnight clashes between the two communities.The Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the state police were earlier deployed in Moosa Bowli, Hussaini Alam, Purana Pul, Begum Bazar, and nearby areas to restore peace following incidents of stone-pelting and assault on religious places, houses, shops and vehicles.Strife started in Moosa Bowli area when the majority community reportedly removed green flags installed by members of the other community and installed saffron ones, instead, during a recent festival. The heated exchanges snowballed into clashes between the two groups. Meanwhile, Class 10 board examinations in around 140 centres have been postponed following the incidents of communal violence.Osmania University authorities have also announced that the degree examination that was scheduled to begin on Wednesday will start from April 7.
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Hyderabad police start removing religious flags,

Hyderabad, March 31: As a dispute over religious flags triggered the communal riots in Hyderabad, the city police have decided to remove all religious flags and banners from public places.Police Commissioner A.K. Khan told reporters Wednesday that Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) would remove all religious banners and flags in the city. It was a dispute between two groups over putting up a religious flag which sparked communal clashes in the old city Saturday. The riots have so far claimed two lives and left over 100 injured while indefinite curfew is continuing in 25 police station areas. Some people of one community were putting up their religious flags by removing the flags of the other community, which led to a quarrel between two groups last week. Police believe that religious flags and banners put up by some groups during the festivals were becoming a major source of tension, especially in the communally sensitive old city. Police sources said there was a competition going on between two political groups in old city in putting up flags on streets, traffic junctions and high-rise structures. They point out that one group put up green flags and banners at every available point during Miladunnabi while the rival group painted the city saffron last week by putting up saffron flags for Hanuman Jayanti. Some concerned citizens complain that these flags and banners are not removed after the festivals, leading to communal tensions. =======================================================

Union Home Minister assures Ministry of Minority Affairs of full co-operation in dealing with problems of Minorities,

(PIB NEWS) Union Home Minister Shri P. Chidambaram has assured the Ministry of Minority Affairs of his full cooperation in dealing with various problems being faced by the Minorities. Inaugurating the Annual Conference of State Minorities Commissions, organized by the National Commissions for Minorities, here today at Vigyan Bhawan, Shri Chidambaram said ‘Inclusive Growth’ is the basic mantra of the Government and the Prime Minister’s New 15-Point Programme for the welfare of Minorities is meant to achieve this goal. He emphasized the value of ‘Pluralism and Diversity’ and said that this has given India its unique strength and colour. Shri Chidambaram assured full security to all sections of society and expressed the hope that the new law to check communal violence and to rehabilitate the victims of such violence will be put in place by the end of the year. Minister for Minority Affairs, Shri Salman Khurshid, said that the National Commission for Minorities should act as the proverbial ‘Jahangir’s Bell’ for helping the Minorities and as such should always be available to come to the rescue of the Minorities. Shri Khurshid said that a time has come when there is need to go beyond the provision of ‘reservation’ and, therefore, more ‘Affirmative Action’ like Prime Minister’s New 15-Point Programme is needed. Minister for Minority Affairs said that a programme like Multi-Sectoral Development Programme for the welfare of Minorities (MsDP) needs further expansion as it is a unique area development programme under which even the majority community is benefitted thereby creating a congenial atmosphere for co-existence. Shri Khurshid said that the Ministry of Minority Affairs plans to relax the norms for declaring a district as Minority Concentration District (MCD) which will result in bringing another 40-45 districts in the ambit of MsDP. Mohammed Shafi Qureshi, Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities dwelt upon the importance of synergy between the National Commission and the State Minorities Commissions. He said that the National Commission for Minorities will undertake a new initiative to have a regular interaction with the stakeholders, namely State Commissions, academics, civil society groups and also the media so that there is more public awareness about the issues related to minorities. ======================================================

Who was behind Hyderabad riots? Many rumours, no answer

Hyderabad, March 31 : Were the communal riots in Hyderabad pre-planned and if so who was responsible for it? These questions have cropped up in people's minds as wild allegations are being made by a section of leaders within the ruling Congress party.While party leaders from Telangana have pointed fingers at their colleagues from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, saying it was a conspiracy to weaken the movement for separate statehood, a Congress MP from Andhra has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Congress MP from Vijayawada L. Rajagopal, who met his party's central leaders in Delhi Tuesday, alleged that riots in Hyderabad were the handiwork of the BJP to prove its existence. He pointed out that riots broke out soon after young BJP legislator Kishan Reddy took over as president of the party's state unit. Chief Minister K. Rosaiah is already facing embarrassment as the opposition is mounting pressure on him to order a probe into the allegations of a couple of Telangana MPs of his own party that the riots were a conspiracy by leaders from Andhra and Rayalaseema to destabilise his government and weaken the Telangana movement. Taking strong note of the developments following protests by Congress leaders from Andhra and Telangana, the central leadership of the Congress party has asked two MPs and a legislator not to go public with their allegations. In the past, squabbling within the Congress party was blamed for riots in the old city of Hyderabad. Rivals of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy within the Congress had alleged that he was behind the 1990 riots, which claimed over 200 lives. Reddy, however, denied the allegations. Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy said investigations were on to identify the culprits and assured that they would be dealt with firmly. "Special teams have been constituted to probe the violence and identify the guilty. While some rioters have already been arrested, there are others who are yet to be arrested," she said. The home minister evaded a reply to queries about some media reports which quoted intelligence sources as saying that a BJP minister in Karnataka was behind the communal violence. The reports said the minister developed a grouse against the Rosaiah government for taking action against his illegal mining operations in Anantapur district bordering Karnataka. The reports also quoted intelligence sleuths as saying that the minister funded several right-wing outfits in Hyderabad to create trouble. The state leadership of the Congress party has reportedly brought this to the notice of party president Sonia Gandhi.
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Toll in Hyderabad rises to two, curfew in more areas

Hyderabad, March 30: One more person was stabbed to death in Hyderabad Tuesday, taking the toll in the communal violence to two while riots spread to new areas and curfew was imposed in the limits of eight more police stations.While curfew continued the old city without any relaxation, it was imposed in new areas following fresh clashes. Hyderabad police Commissioner A.K.Khan said Tuesday evening that indefinite curfew would be in force in Afzalgunj, Begumbazar, Shahinayathgunj, Tappachabutra, Asifnagar, Mangalhat, Kulsumpura and Habibnagar police stations. This has taken the number of police stations under curfew to 25. Indefinite curfew was imposed in all 17 police stations in the south zone (old city) Monday night and it continued Tuesday without any relaxation. He also imposed prohibitory orders banning processions and rallies across this Andhra Pradesh capital after clashes in new areas. The communal violence, which was so far confined to the old city, spread to other areas in the city, triggering tension. One person was stabbed to death in Karwan area adjoining the old city. One person was killed Monday. Dozens of people were injured in clashes in Musheerabad, Bholakpur and Rani Gunj and other areas in central Hyderabad and its twin city Secunderabad. Andhra Pradesh police chief Girish Kumar told reporters that police were ordered to shoot anyone carrying lethal weapons, stones or sticks in the curfew-bound old city. While the curfew-bound old city remained by and large peaceful, trouble broke out in Musheerabad area when some people allegedly pelted stones on a religious procession. Rival groups clashed with stones and sticks. The miscreants attacked houses and damaged over 20 vehicles. The trouble spread to nearby Bholakpur and Rani Gunj areas. In Begum Bazar area near the old city, police opened fire in the air to disperse two clashing groups. There was tension in several areas as various organisations took out processions to mark Hanuman Jayanti. As the tension was mounting, police ordered closure of shops and business establishments in almost all parts of the city as a precautionary measure. Almost the entire city wore a deserted look. Sporadic incidents of stone pelting were reported from curfew-bound areas of Gulzar Houz and Shah ali Banda near the historic Charminar but the police controlled the situation by resorting to baton charges and arresting the miscreants. The violence, which broke out Saturday in Moosa bowli area of Hussaini Alam over a dispute on putting up of religious flags, has also left over 80 injured while several places of worship were attacked and vehicles torched. Police imposed curfew Monday to bring the situation under control. Hundreds of policemen and paramilitary forces personnel were deployed across the communally-sensitive walled city.Police Commissioner Khan police said police have formed special teams to identify the culprits behind the riots. "We have so far arrested 110 people in connection with various incidents and are questioning them to identify the culprits," he said.
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Curfew continues in Old city

Hyderabad, Mar 31 : An eerie silence prevailed in the old city of Hyderabad, hit by communal clashes since Saturday, as authorities decided to continue the curfew in 25 police station limits.Talking to reporters after visiting the trouble-torn areas, City Police Commissioner A K Khan ruled out relaxation of the curfew for the present as clashes had erupted in different parts of the state capital yesterday also, taking the toll in the violence to two. Director General of Police R R Girish Kumar also visited the affected areas and reviewed the situation. Chief Minister K Rosaiah, along with his Cabinet colleagues P Sabita Reddy, J Geeta Reddy, Mukesh Goud and D Nagender, reviewed the situation in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad with senior police officials, including the DGP. Police had yesterday fired in the air, lobbed teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge when participants in a religious procession turned violent. The city Police Commissioner had also clamped prohibitory orders in the twin cities ''in exercise of the powers vested in him under section 22(1) (a) to (f) and 22 (2) (a) and (b) of Hyderabad City Police Act''.
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