Two people were killed and over 50, including 41 policemen,injured as a protest by several Muslim organisations to condemn the allegedattacks on Muslims in Myanmar and the Assam riots turned violent, officialssaid. An alert has been sounded in the city.
"Two people are reported dead in St George Hospital (insouth Mumbai) and the over 50 injured are being treated in hospitalshere," an official from the disaster management cell told IANS.
Of the 52 injured, 41 are policemen, the official added.
Those killed have been identified as Mohammed Umar, 22, andAltaf Shaikh, 18.
A photographer from Sakal Times, Prashant Sawant, 50, wasalso seriously injured in the violence along with at least three other photojournalists.
Terming the situation "delicate", the city policechief said that a red alert has been issued.
"The holy month of Ramzan is on. Considering there wereserial blasts in Pune recently, and that the Independence Day is also comingup, we have issued a red alert in the city until the situation is entirelyunder control," Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik told media personshere.
Over 25,000 members and activists of several Muslimorganisations Saturday staged a protest at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai toprotest alleged attacks on Muslims in Myanmar and the Assam riots.
Led by Raza Academy, an organisation working to promoteIslamic culture, the protest to condemn the alleged attacks on Muslims inMyanmar was supported by other organisations like Sunni Jamaitul Ulma andJamate Raza-e-Mustafa. They also condemned the riots and violence in Assam.
"The situation got out of control as a group ofprotesters turned aggressive at around 3.15 p.m. I personally spoke to a few ofthem who were on the dais and requested them to maintain calm," Patnaikadded.
However, the group had already started pelting stones oncity buses and started setting media and police vans on fire. Patnaik said thataround 10 buses and six vans were damaged.
Policemen had made a baton charge to disperse the mob. Theyalso fired in air and immediately cordoned off the area.
Asked whether the lack of proper security led to theincident, Patnaik said that the security at Azad Maidan was proper.
"There were enough policemen at the ground and therewas no lapse in security system. However, an angry mob has to be handled withtact and use of force often worsens the situation and hence the policemen didnot use force," he said.
The violence, however, affected the local train services onthe harbour and central lines. Traffic jams were also seen on roads leading tosouthern and south central parts of the city.
Opposition parties hit out at the government for theviolence.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday said that theattack was a apt example of how the state government has no hold over thedeteriorating law and order situation in the city.
"We condemn the attack on media persons and on dutypolicemen. However, police should have anticipated violence during an eventthat had a huge gathering," a BJP spokesperson said.
Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale alsocondemned the attack.
The Mumbai Press Club alleged that the violence broke outafter a Muslim cleric verbally attacked the media for not covering theatrocities in Myanmar and Assam.
"According to eyewitnesses, a maulana in his speechverbally attacked the media, claiming that the atrocities in Assam and Burmawere deliberately not being covered by the press. This incensed the crowd whichturned against photographers and TV crews on and around the Maidan," thePress Club said in a statement.
It also demanded that the government immediately order anenquiry to determine how the violence erupted and punish those responsible forit.