Curfew relaxation gives relief to people in riot-hit Hyderabad

Hyderabad, April 3: The two-hour relaxation in curfew Saturday provided much-needed relief to the people in riot-hit areas of Hyderabad while the situation remained peaceful in the city.Thousands of men and women came out of their homes in eight police station areas as curfew was relaxed from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. to enable people to buy essential commodities. Huge crowds were seen in the markets to buy vegetables, milk and groceries. Long queues were also there at the medical stores. People once again complained of traders exploiting the situation by jacking up the prices of essentials as the arrangements made by the authorities to supply vegetables proved inadequate. For the first time since curfew was imposed in these areas outside the worst-hit old city Tuesday, police relaxed the restrictions, providing some relief to the people. No untoward incident was reported in two hour relaxation. The curfew in 17 police station areas of old city was relaxed for three hours from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The curfew in the communally sensitive old city was relaxed for two hours Thursday but no relaxation was given Friday as police anticipated trouble during prayers. With Friday prayers passing off peacefully, the police decided to give three-hour relaxation. Though no untoward incident was reported in any of the curfew-bound areas since Tuesday night, police were continuing the curfew as a precautionary measure. Police Commissioner A.K. Khan Saturday said there would be relaxation for longer duration on Sunday. "Lifting of curfew will take some more time," he said. There was mild tension near the historic Charminar area late Friday when Hyderabad MP and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi staged a protest at Charminar police station against the arrests of "innocent" Muslim youth by police. Owaisi later called off the protest after an assurance by the senior police officers that innocent youth would be released. Owaisi, who was accompanied by parents of some of the arrested youth, alleged that police was breaking into the houses during night time, abusing women and lifting their children. The communal violence, which broke out following a dispute over putting up of religious flags, has so far claimed two lives and left over 150 injured. The police commissioner said probe into various incidents of violence was on and so far 300 people were taken into custody. Police were also on the lookout for two corporators of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Telugu Desam Party for their alleged involvement in riots.
=======================================================

Curfew continues in riot-hit Hyderabad

Hyderabad for the fourth day Friday. Even though the situation remained peaceful, police were on high alert because of Friday prayers.Police decided not to relax the curfew in all 25 police station areas since they anticipated trouble during Friday prayers. They have requested Muslims to pray in their homes.Police Commissioner A.K.Khan told reporters that curfew, which was relaxed for two hours in 17 police station areas Thursday, would continue without any relaxation Friday.An eminent Islamic scholar has also ruled that Friday prayers were not a must in curfew-bound areas and appealed to Muslims to pray in their homes. Mufti Khaleel Ahmed, head of the Islamic university Jamia Nizamia, said Friday prayers in mosques are a must only when they can be offered without any disturbance and without endangering lives.Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy had earlier hinted that curfew could be relaxed for prayers but after a review meeting with Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and police top brass last night, she ruled out the relaxation. Security has been tightened at all places of worship in Hyderabad and in districts like Adilabad, Mahabubnagar and Nizamabad. The chief minister has directed police to deploy additional forces to ensure peace during Friday prayers.Meanwhile, no untoward incident has been reported from any part of the city since Tuesday night. However, the home minister made it clear that the curfew would continue till normalcy was restored.The communal violence, which broke out following a dispute over putting up of religious flags, has so far claimed two lives and left over 150 injured.Police have increased their probe into various incidents of violence. As many as 200 people have so far been arrested in connection with 67 cases of rioting. The arrests were made for attacks on places of worship, arson and looting and damage to public and private property.(photo by RSJ Thomas)
======================================================

Friday prayers pass off peacefully in old city

Hyderabad, Apr 2 : Authorities heaved a sigh of relief as Friday prayers passed off peacefully in the communally-sensitive old city of Hyderabad today amid the indefinite curfew and deployment of ten more companies of para-military forces.Elite Rapid Action Force personnel and mounted police turned the historic Mecca Masjid into a fortress where only a few devout Muslims offered Namaz. They offered prayers in their houses following issuance of fatwa to this effect by clergymen. City Police Commissioner A.K.Khan, who covered several parts of the old city by foot, told mediapersons that ''The situation is fully under control. No untoward incidents were reported so far from anywhere. We will take a decision on relaxing curfew tomorrow if there are no further incidents later today.'' Mr Khan, who interacted with a cross section of people, including religious leaders, said leaders of both the communities had come to an understanding to work jointly for restoration of communal amity.Already 21 companies of central forces have been deployed in 25 police station limits, besides Andhra Pradesh Special Police and elite OCTOPUS in the wake of the killing of two people in communal clashes since Saturday.All roads leading to Mecca Masjid in the old city wore a deserted look as police put up a two-layered barbed wire security fencing.The state government's strategy of working from behind by forming peace committees and persuading clerics to issue fatwa, asking Muslims to offer their zohor (mid-noon prayers) either in their houses or local mosques, paid off. As many as 109 cases were registered in connection with the communal flare-up and over 200 people were picked up for questioning, police said.
=======================================================

Old Hyderabad under curfew for fourth consecutive day

Hyderabad, Apr 2 : Curfew prevailed parts of riot hit old Hyderabad for a consecutive fourth day on Friday.Police decided against relaxing curfew in all 25 police station areas since anticipating trouble during Friday prayers.The situation, however, remained peaceful with security forces on high alert.State police chief R.R. Girish Kumar, met Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi to ensure peaceful Friday prayers.Hyderabad Police Commissioner A.K. Khan said curfew, was relaxed for two hours in 17 police station areas on Thursday.Meanwhile, eminent Islamic scholar and the head of the Jamia Nizamia Islamic University, Mufti Khaleel Ahmed said Friday prayers in mosques are a must only when they can be offered without disturbance.State Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy had earlier hinted that curfew could be relaxed for prayers but after a review meeting with Chief Minister K. Rosaiah and senior police officials last night, she ruled it out.Communal violence broke out over a dispute involving a religious flag. So far, two have died and 150 have been injured.Two hundred people have been arrested in connection with 67 cases of rioting.
=======================================================

10 companies brought; heavy security at Mecca Masjid

Hyderabad, Apr 2: Ten additional companies of para-military forces were brought and mounted and police deployed around the historic Mecca Masjid, which was virtually encircled, even as the Hyderabad police braced up for the crucial Friday prayers in the riot-hit old city area of Hyderabad today.With already 21 companies deployed in the 25 police stations in two zones, 17 in south and 8 in west, the Hyderabad police took no chance as it laid a two layer barbed wire security fencing on the desolate roads in various parts, particularly in the vicinity of Charminar.Working behind the scenes, the police and the state government rallied peace committees and talked to the religious leaders, leading to the clerics issuing fatwas, asking Muslims to offer their zohor (mid-noon prayers) either in their house or in the mosques in their localities rather than venture to the Mecca Masjid.Strict vigil was kept on the movement of persons with past rioting record even as police picked up more than 200 people and registered around 70 cases since the communal riot flared up on a flag issue five days back.The government had relaxed the curfew for two hours in two phases yesterday to enable the people to buy their provisions and advised them to store them for two days. However, traders kept the prices of provisions at an unviable rate, normally five times the market price, to make quick money.A few voluntary organisations today distributed packets of rice, oil, pulses and sugar but that was insufficient for the population of two and a half million in the old city area.
=======================================================

BJP asks CM to order time-bound judicial inquiry into riots

Hyderabad, Apr 2 : ''Unequivocally condemning'' the communal violence in the old city of Hyderabad, the BJP today asked Chief Minister K Rosaiah to order a time-bound judicial inquiry into the riots covering a wider framework including the involvement of Jehadi, ISI elements, conspiracy and political allegations.In a letter to Mr Rosaiah, a copy of which was released to the media here, the BJP state unit demanded that another inquiry into the lapses in handling curfew in the old city be ordered.Protesting against the ''initial failure and subsequent discriminatory attitude of the police'', it said, ''The present spurt of riots at once showcase the failure of the intelligence and counter-intelligence departments at one level, and the failure of entire administration at a larger level.'' The saffron party also demanded that the Rosaiah government announce an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of those killed in riots, a government job to an eligible member of the family and a house. It also asked the government to provide compensation of Rs 50,000 to injured and Rs 1 lakh to seriously injured in addition to free treatment.
======================================================

BJP sets up team to probe Hyderabad violence

New Delhi, April 2: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari Friday constituted a five-member committee, headed by party MP and spokesman Prakash Javdekar, to probe the communal violence in Hyderabad.BJP Lok Sabha member Prahlad Joshi, spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman, national secretary Dr. Laxman and Rajya Sabha member K.B. Shanappa are the other members. "The committee will visit the riot-hit areas to take stock of the situation there. Later, it will submit a report to the party president," according to a party statement here. Party sources said the actual time to visit the affected places and programme of the committee would be decided by Javdekar. "The committee will leave for Hyderabad in a day or two. They will meet in Hyderabad before visiting the riot-hit areas," a party official said.
The communal violence, which broke out following a dispute over putting up of religious flags, has so far claimed two lives and left over 150 injured.
The riot-hit areas are still under curfew. Police have stepped up their probe into various incidents of violence. As many as 200 people have so far been arrested for 67 cases of rioting. The arrests were made for attacks on places of worship, arson and looting, and damage to public and private property.
======================================================

US Consulate General to upgrade facilities

Hyderabad, Apr 2 : US Consul General Cornelis Keur today said the US Consulate General in Hyderabad will upgrade its existing facility to accommodate the increasing demand for consular services from the first week of May 2010.During this period, expected to last six weeks, the Consular Section will temporarily reduce the number of appointments available to both American citizens and visa applicants. In a statement, the Consul General said, ''This period of refurbishment is unavoidable as the existing configuration is inadequate to meet the growing demand for services from both American citizens and visa applicants in Andhra Pradesh.'' ''To avoid inconvenience to our applicants, the Consulate General will increase the number of visa and American Citizen Services (ACS) appointments available during the four weeks prior to the expected facility upgrade. Interview appointments can now be scheduled on Saturdays beginning April 10, 2010,'' he said. The US Consul General urged the applicants to plan ahead and apply far in advance of expected travel dates for visas or American citizen services such as passports, notarials, or Consular Reports of Birth Abroad. Applicants with urgent travel needs during this period of limited consular services can apply for visas at the US Consulate General in Chennai or other US consular sections throughout India,he said.                                   (photo by RSJ Thomas) ==========================================================