Twenty-four people were hurt in the incident late on Saturday, 12 suffering bullet injuries, as police opened fire to control rampaging mobs in Muslim-majority areas.
The violence broke out, AFP reported, after Muslims accused Hindus of burning a black flag put up to protest the destruction of the mosque by Hindu zealots in the northern town of Ayodhya 11 years ago.
Hyderabad city police commissioner RP Singh said two people were stabbed to death while another died in police firing.
“We had to open fire to control the situation as the mobs were armed with petrol bombs, swords and iron rods,” he said, adding three of those injured in the rioting were in a critical condition.
Some rioters burned down an electric transformer and tried to take advantage of the darkness to damage nearly half a dozen houses, Singh said.
Another police official, AK Khan told Reuters that an "indefinite curfew has been imposed in several areas of the city after the rioting but there has been no violence since 1am". "The situation is tense but under control."
Peaceful strike
The rioting followed a relatively peaceful dawn to dusk strike in the Muslim-dominated old city area of Hyderabad, to protest against the mosque’s demolition.
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Hindu extremists want a temple
on the destroyed mosque site |
In Ayodhya, Muslim and Hindu groups staged rival demonstrations as well.
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