The Hindu : Maharashtra mosque attacked; 25 injured

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 22, 2003

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Maharashtra mosque attacked; 25 injured

By Arunkumar Bhatt

MUMBAI Nov. 21. Twenty-five people were injured when two motorcycle-borne persons threw crude bombs at the Mohammadia Mosque at Sane Chowk in Parbhani town, about 300 km from here, around 1.50 p.m. today.

Worshippers were offering the namaz of Jumetul-Vida — the prayers of the last Friday of the Holy Month of Ramzan — when the bombs exploded, a source said. The Mohammadia Mosque, popularly known as Khoja Mosque, belongs to the Shia sect.

The Deputy Chief Minister, Chhagan Bhujbal, said indefinite curfew had been imposed in the town, where the situation was `tense.'

Mr. Bhujbal appealed to the people to maintain peace and assured that the guilty would be brought to book at the earliest.

The State Reserve Police has been deployed. Nobody has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Local police sources said the injured were taken to the Parbhani Government Hospital.

Soon thousands of people gathered there and started pelting stones and setting vehicles afire.

The areas reported to be tense are Sane Chowk, Grand Corner, Natraj Rang Mandir, Subhash Road, Gurjari Bazaar, Kachchhi Bazaar, Kranti Chowk and Gandhi Park. These are localities with a mixed population of Hindus and Muslims.

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