Aligarh, Nov 06: Areas of the old city were fast returning to normalcy with curfew being relaxed for the first time today in the Delhi Gate police station area which had witnessed communal clashes on Saturday last, even as Hindu and Muslim leaders met to sort out differences. In the other areas, curfew was relaxed for six hours while in Delhi Gate area it was relaxed in phases for three hours. No untoward incident was reported from anywhere, district magistrate S M Bobde said here.
Shops and offices on the railway road, the main shopping centre and other markets remained open today, Bobde said.
In order to resolve the dispute over the route of funeral procession which had led to tension in the city, a meeting between the representatives of the Shahjamal Dargah Committee and Hindu Cremation Ground Committee was held today in a cordial atmosphere, Bobde said.
Both sides were keen on breaking the deadlock over the issue which had been simmering since the last several years, he said.
Congress MLA from the city, Vivek Bansal, while welcoming the talks between the two communities, urged them to act with "wisdom and foresight" to thwart the designs of those who were trying to exploit the situation for their narrow motives.
On Saturday, one person was killed and several others injured when members of the two communities clashed over the passage of a funeral procession, leading to clamping of curfew in three police station areas. Bureau Report