Hyderabad, February 21 As many as twelve people were arrested in connection with the communal disturbance that left a police constable injured at Banswada in Telangana's Kamareddy district, police said on Saturday.
Police used batons to control the situation after members of two communities gathered following an argument between a man and staff at a mall on Friday.
The man, who visited the mall in Banswada, objected to religious music being played and began recording a video, which was opposed by a female staff member, police said.
"An altercation broke out between the man and the mall staff, leading to a clash in which he was injured," a police official said.
Following the incident, members of both communities assembled, and some unidentified individuals resorted to stone-pelting, prompting a mild baton charge by the police.
Kamareddy Superintendent of Police M Rajesh Chandra said on Saturday that a swift investigation was underway into the incident, and efforts were being made to apprehend the absconding suspects.
In a statement, the SP said that some people gathered and attempted to incite religious animosity in the town, and also indulged in stone-pelting following a minor incident.
He asserted that strict action would be taken against anyone trying to provoke communal tensions or take the law into their own hands.
He said that the situation in Banswada is now peaceful, with normal life restored.
He also warned against taking action against those posting provocative content on social media, saying that administrators of messaging groups would be held responsible for such posts.
The BJP said that its state president N Ramchander Rao, who planned to visit Banswada and Kamareddy on Sunday, was placed under house arrest in Hyderabad on Saturday night.
In a video statement, Ramchander Rao said that BJP workers were taken into custody in Banswada following a bandh call given by some Hindu outfits on Saturday, and demanded their immediate release.
Meanwhile, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi expressed concern over the alleged rise in communal incidents in Telangana.
In a post on X, he said that he had spoken to the Kamareddy SP and sought registration of an FIR and "a proper investigation" into the Banswada incident.
"How was such a large crowd mobilised within a few hours? There are enough videos showing the right-wing crowd's criminal activities. They specifically targeted small shops and street vendors belonging to the minority community," he alleged.
Owaisi said that he had asked a party leader in Kamareddy to submit a detailed report on the damage caused by "mob violence, especially to Muslim-owned shops".
He added that the state government should compensate those affected, and that his party would also extend support.
