Death Toll in Violence Goes up to Over 180 in West India

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, March 02, 2002

Death Toll in Violence Goes up to Over 180 in West India

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The death toll has gone up to over 180 in the communal violence that continued unabated on Friday in west India, forcing the Gujarat government to issue orders to shoot at sight throughout the state, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).

Nine columns of army comprising over 3,000 troops staged flag march through sensitive areas of the worst-hit commercial city of Ahmedabad, 910 kilometers southwest of here, and took up positions in the city where 27 members of the minority community were burnt to death in their sleep on Thursday night and a police officer was shot dead by a frenzied mob, bring the number of deaths in the city alone to nearly 115.

Armed troops have also been deployed in other cities and towns of the state Friday as indefinite curfew continued in 32 cities and towns following large-scale violence in the last two days.

Defense Minister George Fernandes, who arrived in Ahmedabad Thursday night to oversee troop deployment, discussed the situation in the state with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

The violence was followed by a national strike called by VishwaHindu Parishad (VHP), or the World Hindu Community, in protest against the attack on an express train in the state that killed 58passengers on Wednesday.

In New Delhi, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee convened a meeting of prominent opposition leaders Friday evening to discuss the situation in Gujarat and elsewhere.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Indian Prime Minister Vows to Deal with Situation Firmly