NEW DELHI : The Union home ministry has said that the incident near Godhra on Wednesday afternoon, which resulted in police firing after stone-pelting by some local residents, had no communal overtones.

 

Special secretary in the home ministry B B Mishra said, "Details of the incident are still awaited."

 

Another senior official said, "The incident has happened in Gujarat , so it is the state authorities which will give their response. We will react to it only after we get full information."

 

He, however, added that preliminary information suggests that the incident was not a communal clash.

 

The incident reportedly took place when a railway police party investigating the Godhra case had gone to arrest a accused in the Godhra train burning case on information that he had come to the Satpuludia area near the town.

 

A large congregation of local residents resisted the police party and attacked it by pelting stones.

 

At least three police personnel, including an inspector, were injured, following which the police fired in the air. This resulted in two persons being injured, home ministry sources said.