Hyderabad and its twin city Secunderabad returned to normalcy on Sunday after Friday's bomb blast at the historic Mecca Masjid, subsequent police firing and the observance of a protest bandh on Saturday.
Though it was a Sunday, many shops remained open in the twin cities. The bazaars in the old city came back to life with fruit vendors and pavement hawkers resuming their business.
Hotels, petrol bunks, cinema theatres reopened. However, banks, government offices and establishments remained closed on account of the weekly holiday.
City Police Commissioner Balwinder Singh said, "The city is calm and peaceful and the situation is normal."
The police set up metal detector doors at the main door of the mosque and allowed people to offer noon prayers only after frisking them thoroughly.
Tension prevailed for sometime at Lakdikapul in Hyderabad when about 300 activists of Majlis-e-Ittehaadul Muslimeen, led by Hyderabad Member of Parlaiment Asaduddin Owaisi, staged a noisy demonstration at the director-general of police's office, protesting against the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid and the death of several youths in police firing.
Waving party flags and shouting slogans, the MIM activists demanded a CBI probe into the blast, police firing and the suspension of the police officials involved in the firing on Friday.
The protestors, including MIM legislators, dispersed after staging the dharna for two hours.
It may be recalled that on Saturday night, Director-General of Police M A Basith had clarified that the death toll in Friday's incidents was 14, including nine in the blast and five in police firing.
Earlier, after a Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and State Home Minister K Jana Reddy had put the toll at 16, including 11 in the blast and 5 in police firing.
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