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Journalism of Courage
Over 20 people were injured, two houses burnt and several private vehicles damaged on Friday evening after violence erupted between two communities during a Muslim rally to protest the hanging of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, in a sensitive area of Bangalore.
Violence broke out at around 6:30 pm as Muslims from the Shivajinagar area headed to a local stadium for the rally, organised by a new political forum, People’s Front, which has been floated by former union minister and senior Congress leader C K Jaffer Sharief.
The two communities clashed after those marching towards the stadium pulled down buntings, flags and other symbols advertising a Hindu Mahasabha programme being held across Karnataka over the past month. Stones were hurled at houses, a place of worship and on vehicles. The violence spread to the narrow bylanes of the area. Police had to use tear-gas to disperse the mobs and cordoned off the zone. Several policemen were among the injured.
“The violence lasted for about an hour before it was brought under control. The area is still sensitive but peace has been restored,” Additional Commissioner of Police Bipin Gopalkrishna said.
However, the 20,000-strong rally went on unhindered, with several political leaders from the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and a ruling JDS minister participating in it. Some trade union representatives from Cuba, Libya, Pakistan and Bangladesh also spoke briefly against the United States, George Bush, Tony Blair and the execution of Saddam Hussein.
In Karnataka’s political circles, the rally is being seen as an effort by a politically sidelined Jaffer Sharief to demonstrate his clout in the state.
