Bhopal’s Old City area near Hamidia Hospital the worst hit; police say situation under control

Tension gripped the Old City area of the Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal on Tuesday after two groups clashed over the right to offer prayers inside Hamidia Hospital, that is attached to Gandhi Medical College in the city.

Mobs torched several vehicles and damaged a DIAL 100 police vehicle in Peer gate area even as a huge contingent of police was deployed to meet any eventuality.

The situation continued to be tense on Wednesday as scores of police personnel remain deployed in most of the Old City localities.

The Old City area near Hamidia Hospital witnessed communal violence when a group of people claimed that some minarets were found during the ongoing construction work inside the hospital. They claimed the minarets were that of a mosque and wanted to offer prayers there.

However, the district administration refused to give permission to them to offer prayers.

On Monday, members of another community wanted to offer prayers in a temple inside the hospital campus very close to where the minarets were found.

The district administration refused to give them permission to offer prayers, too.

On Tuesday evening, trouble started in Peer gate area and spread to other other parts of the Old City- Budhwara Char Batti, Moti Masjid, Fatehgarh, Agrasen Chowk, Royal Market, Saifia College, Imambada which witnessed stone pelting for almost three hours. There was no report of causalities.

According to Bhopal DIG, Raman Singh Sikarwar, the situation was under control.