Curfew in Andhra Pradesh town after communal trouble

A curfew has been imposed in Sangareddy town in Medak district on Friday, following a communal clash which started after a picture of a religious place was uploaded on a social networking site.

Trouble started after Pavan Kumar Muddiraj allegedly uploaded photo of a religious place. A complaint was lodged on Thursday night, saying that the photo and its caption hurt religious feelings.

As the news spread, scores of others gathered at the police station around mid-night and resorted to demonstration and road-blockade demanding immediate arrest of the man.

There was also a confrontation between members of the two communities near Government Junior College, which led to stone-pelting. Vehicles were set ablaze, before police could intervene and run off the mobs.

Stone-pelting took place on Friday morning too, in which shops and vehicles were damaged, even as authorities imposed curfew.

"The situation has calmed down and is under control and peaceful," a senior police officer said, adding that efforts to arrest Muddiraj were on. Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy reviewed the situation at a meeting with senior police officers in Hyderabad.

Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister C Damodhar Raja Narasimha and local MLA, T Jaya Prakash Reddy visited the town.

Medak Collector Suresh Kumar held a meeting of peace committee and appealed for peace.