Bangalore (AsiaNews) – Police are patrolling the streets of Bangalore, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, after sectarian violence broke out a few days ago in which a boy was killed. Security forces remain in high alert to prevent any further clash between local Muslims and Hindus.
The violence began last Friday when some 10,000 Muslims gathered to protest against the execution of Saddam Hussein and US foreign policy. Ruling Congress Party politicians like Jaffar Sharief and Dharam Singh were present.
When police tried to stop some hooligans it used tear gas and truncheons to disperse the demonstrators who reacted throwing rocks at cars and store windows of Hindu-owned businesses. Eventually, some 50 people needed medical.
Two days later, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS (National Volunteers' Union, A Hindu nationalist paramilitary group) met in Bangalore to celebrate the one hundred years since the birth of one its founding leaders, Madhawa Sadashivarao Golwalkar.
Members of the two communities eventually came into contact and started throwing insults at each other. Soon words were followed by sectarian violence.
When the police intervened they shot into the crowd and killed a 12-year-old boy. They also arrested about 150 people and now have the city under control. However, the danger of new clashes still looms over the city.
Bangalore is India’s IT capital. Some 1,500 IT companies and call centres are located in the city and its immediate region and serve almost the entire Western world.