The rally was being held to denounce riots in Assam and also attacks on a minority community in Myanmar.
Hundreds of people turned up at Azad Maidan Ground, the popular protest venue, in south Mumbai this afternoon on a call given by a city-based outfit, Raza Academy, to denounce the riots in Assam and also attacks on minority community in Myanmar. Awami Vikas Party (AVP), a political outfit floated by former police officer Shamsher Khan Pathan, also took part in the protest.
The protesters suddenly turned unruly and set afire vehicles of the media and the police, damaged buses and indulged in stone-pelting.
'Police used lathi-charge, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the violent crowd and in the end fired in which two persons were killed,' Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithivraj Chavan told reporters in Mumbai late Saturday night, a pti repor said. He said 'police could have used more force but the fact that 45 policemen were among the injured proves that they did everything possible to control the mob'.
'Two youths, Mohammed Umar (22) and Altaf Shaikh (18), who were injured in the violence and were in critical condition, died while undergoing treatment at St George Hospital.'
Chavan said besides the 45 police personnel 10 others were also injured.
Hundreds of people turned up at Azad Maidan Ground, the popular protest venue, in south Mumbai this afternoon on a call given by a city-based outfit, Raza Academy, to denounce the riots in Assam and also attacks on minority community in Myanmar. Awami Vikas Party (AVP), a political outfit floated by former police officer Shamsher Khan Pathan, also took part in the protest.
The protesters suddenly turned unruly and set afire vehicles of the media and the police, damaged buses and indulged in stone-pelting.
Among the injured were some mediapersons, including Prashant Sawant of `Sakal Times' and Vivek Bendre of `The Hindu'. All injured were shifted to J J Hospital, St George Hospital, GT Hospital and Bombay Hospital, police said.
The Chief Minister said the Crime Branch has been asked to probe 'whose hand was behind the violence and how the protest turned so violent'.
Police said the situation was brought under control in an hour and normalcy has returned to the area.
Chavan said a high alert has been sounded all over the state and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rapid Action Force (RAF) and State Reserve Police (SRP) personnel have been requisitioned.
He said the miscreants began damaging public property soon after the protest rally began at Azad Maidan.
Mumbai Police exercised maximum restraint in quelling violence and resorted to firing only as the last option, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said.
'Police used lathi-charge, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the violent crowd and in the end fired in which two persons were killed,' he said.
On the mandate given to Crime Branch to probe the incident, Chavan said, 'The investigation will explore the possibility whether it was a preplanned act and also delve into conspiracy angle, if any.'
Replying to a query on any arrests made in the wake of the violence, Chavan said 'some' people have been taken into custody for questionning.
On the security scenario, the chief minister said, 'Police bandobast has been stepped up in the city and state. 18 platoons of para-military forces have been deployed'.
He informed that the road and railway traffic in South Mumbai is normal.
State Home Minister R R Patil who was also present at the briefing said those behind the violence will not be spared.
'There was no lack of coordination among police force,' Patil said in reply to a query.
In July 2012, the India’s Northeastern state of Assam saw outbreaks of violence between indigenous Bodos and Bengali-speaking Muslims. 73 people have died and tens of thousands of people have been displaced from almost 400 villages.
Earlier on August 8, hundreds of people staged demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against the killings of Muslims in parts of lower Assam.
Under the banner of Jama'at Ulama-ye-Hind, hundreds of people registered their anguish and distress over the massacre of Bengali speaking minorities in lower areas of Assam.
Carrying banners, depicting solidarity with the Muslims of Assam and condemning their massacre, people raised slogans against the Assam Government.
Over the decades, Assam state has witnessed at least six major spell of riots between Bodos and Minorities. The first took place in 1996 and it caused loss of 50 people. This was repeated in 2008.
Prime Minster Manmohan Singh had visited violence-affected areas of Assam on July 28 and announced a package of Rs 300 crore for relief and rehabilitation of affected persons.
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