VADODARA, May 3: The death toll from sectarian killings in India’s Gujarat state rose to six after a man was burnt alive in his car during clashes on Tuesday over the demolition of a Muslim shrine.
“The incident took place when there was a power cut and the car was stopped by a mob and set ablaze,” said Deepak Swarup, police chief of Vadodara town.
The man died as arson and looting continued in the city past midnight, despite a curfew.
Earlier on Tuesday one person died of injuries suffered in the clashes which left four dead the previous day. Two were killed in police firing while two others were stabbed.
The clashes erupted after authorities demolished a small Muslim shrine on Monday, saying it was constructed on government land.
The city’s municipal authorities, on a drive to demolish illegal structures, say about 1,200 Hindu and 260 Muslim shrines are located on public land.
Muslim residents said they had told the authorities before the demolition that they would relocate the shrine, which they believe to be hundreds of years old.—AFP
