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[LosingNow]

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President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday condemned the bomb blast in a mosque in Hyderabad and asked people to maintain peace and communal harmony.

In letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y Rajasekhara Reddy, the President strongly condemned the blast at the Mecca mosque in Charminar area, in which five persons were killed and several injured.

''I am sure that the state government is taking all steps to provide help to the injured and to the families of the deceased,'' the President said.

The Prime Minister also condemned the blast and urged members of all communities to maintain peace and communal harmony,'' PM's Media Adviser Sanjaya Baru said in a statement.

He said the Prime Minister has conveyed his condolences to the relatives of the victims.

Powerful bomb blast

Five people were killed and 35 others injured when a powerful bomb exploded during Friday prayers at the historic Mecca mosque in the Charminar area of Hyderabad.

Two live bombs were also detected from the spot soon after the explosions and were defused.

Reports suggest the blast was caused by a crude bomb, which was placed in a tiffin box and was detonated by a mobile phone.

The explosion occurred at 1.25 pm (IST) when thousands of people were gathered in the mosque for prayers.

A central forensic team and the Maharashtra anti-terror squad have been sent to Hyderabad to help determine the cause of the blast.

The injured have been rushed to Osmania and other hospitals by the worshippers in whatever modes of transport they could arrange.

Following the blast, Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore have been put on high alert.

Angry outburst

The explosion created such a panic that those gathered for the prayers started running towards the exit gate of the mosque, said to be over 400-years-old and considered sacred by Muslims.

According to the police, the motive for the blast, which was caused by unsophisticated device, is still not clear.

A large posse of police personnel, who arrived on the scene, faced an angry crowd.

They pelted stones at the shops in the vicinity and the police, who resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd.

An angry mob also prevented AP Home Minster Jana Reddy from entering the Masjid Jana Reddy, who came to take stock of the situation at the Mecca Masjid.

Close watch

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajshekhar Reddy, who is in Delhi, spoke to the DGP Basith and other senior state government officials to take stock of the situation.

Addressing the media, Reddy said the police was trying to bring the situation back to normal.

''When AP is going on forward march of progress, such incidents will hinder progress,'' he added.

Blaming anti-social elements, he pointed out that the blast was an intentional sabotage of the peace of the state. He has announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh for those killed and Rs 25,000 for those injured.

''In the past two months, we had got intelligence inputs from union home ministry and from our own sources that some elements were trying to disturb the peace and tranquility of the state,'' Reddy said.

Home Minister Jana Reddy said that police reinforcements are being sent to the area and the situation will be brought under control.

The Centre is also keeping a close watch on the situation in Hyderabad.

The Union Home Ministry is in constant touch with the state government officials to monitor the situation
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Absolutely pathetic.

[toney]

Kya karen, our country is like this wonly. Hopefully, this doesn't become another communal riot.

[LosingNow]

Good reporting by PP on his blog.. [I can guess which hotel he is staying in ]
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http://www.prempanicker.com/index.php?/site/schizophrenic_city/
Schizophrenic city
landed in Hyderabad at 9.30. 15 minutes later, I was out of the airport and on the road, driving towards the Masab Tank region, near Banjara Hills, where my hotel is located.

I could have sworn I was driving through Mumbai, or Chennai, or Bangalore, or any of the other big cities in India that, at this time, is peacefully going about its business.

There are cars and autorickshaws and bikes with young couples rushing about; while the majority of shops are shut, enough restaurants are open to permit of some decent late evening outings.

You wouldn’t know that earlier today, this city had seen bomb blasts that have at last count killed 12; police firings that have killed three; where many others lie injured in the emergency ward of a local hospital; where police and protestors fought a pitched battle with the former using teargas, water cannons and rifles (filled with rubber bullets, if you ask the cops, and real ones, according to the locals).

Long story short, all is quiet.

“This is new Hyderabad, sir, here and in Secunderabad, there is never any problems,” says Mohan, the driver of the cab that is taking me to the hotel. “Old Hyderabad, ab woh ek alag hi maamla hai.”

Mohan spends the drive selling me on how peaceful Hyderabad is, how everyone goes about his or her business, how there is never any problems.

I reach the hotel, check in, dump my bags, come down to the travel desk—and immediately encounter the ‘other’ Hyderabad. This happens when I try to get a taxi to take me to the site of the bomb blasts.

“Taxi sir? Sure sir”, says the guy at the travel desk; within minutes, a Tata Indica rolls up, the driver opens the door and bows me in, the car is rolling.

“Kahan jaana hai saab?”

Charminar area, I tell him.

The car comes to an abrupt stop. “Nahin saab, udhar hamein nahin jaana hai.”

No amount of convincing—including an offer of double the fare—triggers a change of mind.

I go back to the hotel, and the flustered travel desk guy—who by now is tripping over himself with embarrassment that he couldn’t fulfill a guest’s request—hits the phones. He calls three different travel agents the hotel does regular business with; they all have cars ready, but not one of them is ready to go to the Old City, let alone anywhere near the Charminar region.

I walk back out on the road; soon enough, an empty autorickshaw comes cruising by. Charminar, I ask him. He shakes his head, looks at me like I am mad, and zips off. Wiser, I flag down the next empty auto, and tell him I am a journalist, I want to go to the Charminar region, will he please take me?

No.

Righto, how close can he take me? I’ll walk from there, I offer. The auto driver says he won’t go within five kilometers of the place and in any case, I am mad if I think I can walk through there.

Why so?

Aap patrakaar ho aur aapko nahin maloom? There has been rioting there, police firing, people have been killed, everyone is angry with the police, they have called for a bandh tomorrow—you go there, no one is going to ask you who you are; either the police will get you or the stones will.

It is not, says the travel desk guy, quite that bad—paramilitary forces have been deployed there, there is curfew in the entire region, no trouble just now, but no, not a good idea to go there at this time of the night.

Indeed—so, I’m here, back in the hotel room, doing the next best thing; blogging to tell you all about it.

[feverpitch]

http://telegraphindia.com/1070519/asp/nation/story_7799987.asp

HAIR-TRIGGER HYDERABAD

- A wound and a hunting ground

G.S. RADHAKRISHNA



Hyderabad, May 18: Four of the 13 deaths in Hyderabad today were the result of police firing at rampaging mobs.

Six rounds were fired in the afternoon and evening to prevent shops and public property from being damaged, including petrol pumps and ATMs.

One person was killed in the firing in the Moghapura area, while two fell to the police bullets elsewhere. Another lost his life when the police had to pull the trigger to control a mob trying to break into an ATM.

According to police commissioner Balwinder Singh, his men resorted to firing after water cannons, tear gas and baton-charge failed to bring the mob fury under control.

But in a city where wounds of the Babri Masjid demolition still fester, the police are forever on their toes.

article continues ... ... ... ... ...

[LosingNow]

Good report by Prem ..

http://specials.rediff.com/news/2007/may/21sld1.htm