LUCKNOW, May 29: Clashes between Hindus and Muslims in a northern Indian town left three people dead and dozens injured, officials said on Monday, as authorities imposed curfew to quell the violence. The riots on Sunday in Aligarh, about 50km southeast of New Delhi, were sparked by the shooting of a Hindu nationalist politician a day earlier.

The politician, O.P. Lala, later died of wounds inflicted in the shooting by unidentified assailants, and as news of his passing spread, angry mobs of Hindus began looting Muslim shops and burning cars.

Mobs of Muslims soon poured into the streets to take on the rioting Hindus, and police used tear gas and opened fire to disperse the crowds, said Anil Sagar, an official in the town.

He said a man was shot dead in the violence and dozens were wounded, although it was not clear if the death and injuries came at the hands of the police or rioters. Two others injured died in hospital, said S.K. Aggarwal, a senior home ministry official in Uttar Pradesh state. Lucknow is the state capital.—AP