The Old City area of Bhopal witnessed a short outburst of communal violence in the late hours of Tuesday night. The two communities clashed over the issue of offering prayers inside the Hamidia Hospital, where construction work has revealed structures that appear to be minarets.
Mobs involved in the clash resorted to stone pelting resulting in some people, including a policeman, being injured in the violence. Cars were also damaged and a few torched during the clash.
Local police lobbed teargas shells into the crowds and fired gunshots in the air to disperse the crowd from the area. The police have deployed a heavy force in the area to prevent escalations in the tensions.
Tensions in the area flared when recent construction at the Hamidia Hospital revealed structures that both communities claimed were part of a temple and mosque, respectively. The district administration refused to give either community to offer prayers at the site.