Two dead as protest against Myanmar killings turns violent

IANS

Mumbai, 11 Aug 2012: Two people were killed and over 40 injured as a protest by several Muslim organisations to condemn the alleged attacks on Muslims in Myanmar and the Assam riots turned violent, officials said.

 

"Two people are reported dead in St George Hospital (in south Mumbai) and over 40 injured are being treated in hospitals here," an official from the disaster management cell told IANS.

 

Muslim organisations Saturday staged a protest at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan against the alleged attacks on Muslims in Myanmar and the Assam riots.

 

The situation suddenly got out of control as a group of unidentified persons turned violent and torched police and media vans and pelted stones at city buses. Policemen undertook a baton charge to disperse the mob.

 

At least three OB vans were torched while police vans were also targeted by the angry mob. A few buses were also attacked with stones. Police immediately cordoned off the area and the connecting streets and fired in the air to disperse the crowd.

 

Led by Raza Academy, an organisation working to promote Islamic culture, the protest to condemn the alleged attacks on Muslims in Myanmar was supported by other organisations like Sunni Jamaitul Ulma and Jamate Raza-e-Mustafa. They also condemned the riots and violence in Assam.

 

Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil appealed to the people to maintain law and order and assured of appropriate investigations and that steps were being taken against those guilty.