At least three people were killed in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru when police clashed with hundreds of Muslims who attacked a police station and set fire to vehicles during a protest over a Facebook post considered offensive to Islam, police said Wednesday.
The violence flared after protesters gathered on Tuesday night outside a police station and the house of a local politician, whose relative was accused of posting remarks online reportedly involving the Prophet Muhammad.
The demonstrators turned violent, stoning vehicles and setting them on fire.
A senior Bengaluru police official said that in addition to the three deaths, at least 60 police officers were injured and more than 110 arrests were made.
The official said authorities fired live ammunition in self defense to disperse the crowd after initially using tear gas and batons.
Basavaraj Bommai, the Home Minister for Karnataka state, of which Bengaluru is the capital, said more police would be sent to the city to respond to the “illegal activities”.
The police official said the person responsible for the Facebook post was arrested and a law prohibiting gatherings was imposed in the city.
The violence in southern India comes months after communal riots in the national capital, New Delhi, in which more than 55 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm
QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL:
Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake
Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake
Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake
Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ
Email us at quicktakenews@gmail.com
QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.
