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More deaths in Indian sectarian violence

The death toll in violence between Hindus and Muslims across the western Indian state of Gujarat has risen to more than 200.

The rioting erupted after a suspected Muslim mob torched a train carrying Hindu devotees in Godhra on Wednesday, burning alive 58 people, mostly women and children, returning from a trip to the town of Ayodhya.

Jonathan Harley reports, the violence is leading to demands for more troops to be deployed to stop the unrest.

Army troops have been deployed in some areas of Gujarat's riot torn commercial capital Ahmedabad, but their role is limited. Police have the main responsibility for controlling the mobs and they're either unable or unwilling to rein in the violence. While the streets of Ahmedabad burn, there have been unruly scenes in the Indian parliament. The speaker of the Lower House was forced to halt proceedings after opposition MPs prevented the Home Minister L.K. Advani from making a statement on the situation in Gujarat. Opposition leaders then marched to the presidential palace, demanding more troops be deployed in more areas of Gujarat as well as other sensitive parts of the country. Jonathan Harley New Delhi.

01/03/2002 22:06:26 | ABC Radio Australia News

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