Wednesday morning presented deserted roads and by-lanes across Hyderabad's usually crowded Old City that now wears a haunted look. With curfew continuing in 17 police station areas, the calm is uneasy in this riot-hit part of the Andhra Pradesh capital. 8 police station areas in the newer part of the city are also under curfew, which brings the total number of under-curfew areas to 25. Door-to-door food supplies for residents is being arranged by the Agricultural Marketing Department through mobile vehicles.
A few sporadic incidents did occur in the new city areas of Musheerabad, Bholakpur, Kavadiguda and Begum Bazar, with news of stone-pelting and resulting deaths still prevailing.
Hyderabad Commissioner of Police A K Khan said that curfew would be relaxed for 2 hours in old city on Thursday morning if there is no untoward incident tonight. So far, 180 suspects have been picked up in the old city for interrogation.
Authorities have postponed Class 10 examinations for Wednesday and Thursday at 410 centres in curfew-bound areas. The Osmania University has also postponed its degree examinations.
Home Minister P Chidambaram, saying that he spoke to the Commisioner of Hyderabad, expressed his opinion that the riots were planned, and that the reputation of Hyderabad is indeed getting tarnished. He said the government would take strong action against the miscreants.
A probe team from the National Commision of Minorities will land in Hyderabad tomorrow to investigate the riots and bring the culprits to justice.
filed in:Old City Riots, Centre, P Chidambaram, Hyderabad Curfew