Hyderabad, April 03: Curfew will be relaxed in the communal violence-hit areas of the city on Saturday as the situation remained incident-free yesterday and the day before.
According to City Police Commissioner A K Khan, prohibitory orders will be relaxed from 10 am to 1 pm in all 17 police stations limits in the old city and from 8 am to 10 am in eight areas outside the old city.
No untoward incident was reported from any part of the city after religious leaders appealed to the faithful to offer Friday prayers at home on the request of the police commissioner.
Police allowed small groups of people to offer prayers at local mosques at some places.
All roads leading to the historic Mecca Masjid were sealed off completely.
Meanwhile, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation personnel removed all flags and banners of religious nature from city walls and poles.
A man in the old city lost his life as medical treatment was not available to him allegedly due to curfew.
As many as 30 companies of central forces are deployed at all sensitive areas of the city and around 130 people were taken into custody for their alleged involvement in the clashes, police said.
Two persons were killed and over 90 sustained injuries in the clashes that began on Saturday last week over the issue of putting up religious flags.
The city police initially imposed curfew in 17 police stations of the old city. As violence spread to other areas, curfew was later extended to eight more stations.
TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that some political leaders could be behind the communal violence in the city.
“Communal violence in the city could be an attempt to trouble the government. I am not saying this. Some Congress leaders have made these allegations. Leaders of other parties have also said this,” Naidu said.
Congress leaders K Keshava Rao and J C Diwakar Reddy sought an inquiry into the violence.
The BJP has already sought a judicial inquiry into the clashes.
-PTI