HYDERABAD, June 8: The two-hour curfew relaxation period in the Old City of Hyderabad this morning passed off peacefully barring some stray incidents of stone pelting.Rival mobs hurled stones at each other at Talabkatta, Bhavaninagar, Moghulpura and Shah Ali Banda localities. However, Rapid Action Force personnel chased them away at once and brought the situation under control. Similar incidents were reported from other curfew bound areas.Curfew was imposed in the Old City on Saturday following an outbreak of violence, which has so far claimed eight lives.Today, as soon as curfew was relaxed, people could be seen thronging the streets. There were long queues before shops, hotels and business establishments.A gang of miscreants, in the meanwhile, damaged a city bus and tried to set it on fire at Bazarghat area in the non-curfew west zone area. Eight persons were arrested in this connection.Soon after the incident, speaking to mediapersons at Charminar police station, Home Minister A MadhavaReddy said that all police stations would be upgraded and strengthened to ensure that such incidents do not recur.``The violence was instigated by anti-social elements and it was not a failure on the Government's part. In fact, we managed to control the situation within 24 hours after the violence broke out,'' he added.According to city police commissioner R P Singh, 150 persons, including 115 history-sheeters, were arrested in connection with the violent incidents.Attempt to murder cases were filed against MIM MLAs Asaduddin Owaisi and Mumtaz Khan, besides former MLA Syed Sajjad. Shaik Mahboob Ali, president of Darzgah Jehad-o-Shahadat, a city-based fundamentalist organisation, and its activists were taken into custody for interrogation, the commissioner added.There are also plans to set up a special court in the state to try communal offenders. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met Chief Justice Umeshchandra Banarjee at the latter's residence today and made a request in this regard.A formalproposal from the state government would be sent to the High Court soon, an official spokesman said.Meanwhile, Governor C Rangarajan toured the troubled-torn areas and appealed to people not to give credence to rumours and to maintain peace and amity.Communal violence in Hyderabad had its echo in the Lok Sabha today, with Opposition members demanding the dismissal of the Chandrababu Naidu Government in Andhra Pradesh for its failure to take preventive measures.Angry Opposition members, led by Sultan Salauddin Owiasi (MIM), attempted to stall the question hour by trooping into the well of the House, demanding action to control the riots.Home Minister L K Advani then assured them that the Centre was in constant touch with the state government and was taking all the necessary steps to maintain communal harmony. Advani said that although law and order was a state subject, the Centre had taken note of the incidents and he would make a statement in the House tomorrow in this regard.
