MOSCOW, September 29 (RIA Novosti) – More than 200 have been arrested after violence erupted between Hindus and Muslims in the Indian state of Gujarat, a senior officer said Monday, AFP reports.
The clashes began on Thursday in the city of Vadodara after a distorted image offended Muslims on social media. The state authorities responded by blocking mobile Internet and text messaging to prevent further escalation of the conflict.
After several days of violence, during which the two sides threw stones at each other and one person was stabbed, the police have arrested more than 200 people from both communities, said D.J. Patel, additional commissioner of Vadodara police.
According to Patel, the man guilty of starting the riots was a teacher who posted the controversial message on WhatsApp. He has since been arrested, Patel told AFP.
Gujarat is mostly populated by Hindus, while Muslims constitute a minority. In 2002, over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed during religious riots. India's current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was the leader of the province and the the time and he has previously been accused of being complicit in the attacks.
The police informed that the city is back to normal; however Internet services will remain suspended until Tuesday to prevent any potential escalation of the conflict, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.
