1978; March 31–April 4: Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh)

54% Hindus, 43% Muslims

Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh: Marri Chenna Reddy , Congress Party, March 1978–October 1980

After three relatively peaceful decades, violence erupted in Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) after a Muslim woman, Rameeza Bee, was allegedly raped and her husband, Ahmad Hussain, murdered by policemen on March 24. A Muslim crowd gathered around the police station to express its anger. On March 31, a rumor circulated that Rameeza Bee had eventually been killed by the police. Although the rumor proved to be false, it was enough to spark off violence. Fifteen persons were killed, some of them after being shot by police. After these initial events in 1978, Hyderabad was to experience communal riots almost on a yearly basis, particularly during the Ganesh festival, the public celebration of which was encouraged by the then chief minister Chenna Reddy in order to serve his own political ends (see Chapter 4 in «Hindu–Muslim Communal Riots in India II (1986–2011)» by Violette Graff and Juliette Galonnier [2012]).

***(Kumar 1978: 76); ***(Ghosh 1987: 120–121).