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Hindu-Muslim riots after India’s cricket victory
via Daily Times :
Police fired teargas Tuesday to break up clashes between Hindus and Muslims as celebrations over India’s Twenty20 cricket win over Pakistan exploded into violence, officials said. More than 35 people including policemen were hurt in the fighting, which broke out overnight in Indian Kashmir and continued on Tuesday, police said in Jammu, winter capital of the disputed Himalayan region. “We have rushed additional forces to Rajouri where the two communities are fighting it out,” said Rafeeq Sheikh, civilian administrator of the district bordering Pakistan.
Witnesses claimed Muslims provoked Hindus with pro-Pakistan slogans after India defeated its arch-rival by five runs in the final of the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup tournament in South Africa on Monday. Muslims said they were targeted because Hindus perceive them as pro-Pakistan. Muslims attacked while praying: “A group of people (Muslims) offering prayers alleged they were attacked by people who were taking out a rally to mark India’s victory,” Jammu police chief SP Vaid said. Rajouri police chief TR. Katoch and three of his senior deputies were injured, prompting police to fire in the air with automatic rifles in an attempt to disperse the mob, Sheikh told AFP by telephone.
In Jammu, Kashmir’s only Hindu-majority city, some 1,000 Indian fans outnumbered Muslims 10-to-one as they stormed a college, other officials here said. Heavily-armed paramilitary troops also came under attack, forcing the authorities to ban public gatherings. Similar clashes also broke out in Gujarat, where five policemen were hurt after they intervened between rioting Hindus and Muslims on Monday night in the western state, the United News of India said.
