BENGALURU (Reuters) – Violent protests gripped parts of the southern Indian city of Bengaluru late on Tuesday after thousands of protesters took to the streets over a provocative social media post about the Prophet Mohammad by a relative of a local politician, local media reported.
Two people were dead and three injured after police opened fire, according to a regional news channel. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the deaths or the number of injuries.
“The situation is under control,” Bengaluru City Police said on Twitter, adding that police resorted to firing on the protesters to disperse them after using tear gas and batons.
TV channels showed a mob gathered outside a police station and clashing with officers, burning several police vehicles.
“We have secured the person who made the social media post”, Police Commissioner Kamal Pant told TV reporters. Several police officers were injured, he added.
A curfew was imposed in the surrounding area to restrict movements of people, police said.
“We are investigating the issue and will make use of the CCTV footages to see who is behind these violent acts and will take stringent actions,” Karnataka state Home Minister Basavraj Bommai told a local TV news channel.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya, Nivedita Bhattacharjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Dan Grebler)
