NEW DELHI, 7 December 2007 — Five people were injured as Hindu and Muslim groups holding rallies to mark the 15th anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid clashed in the capital.

Members of the All India Babri Masjid Rebuilding Committee (AIBRC) and activists of Shiva Sena held their rallies at Jantar Mantar.

While the Muslims observed the day to protest the razing of the mosque, the Hindus celebrated it as “Vijay Divas” (victory day).

In Coimbatore, over 1,200 members of Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhakam staged a demonstration demanding rebuilding of the mosque. Wearing black shirts, the activists shouted slogans and called for the arrests of those responsible.

Legislators also discussed the issue in the Parliament. Before the two houses of Parliament met at 11 a.m., lawmakers from the left parties, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Telegu Desam Party (TDP) gathered outside the main gate, shouting slogans. They demanded punishment for those responsible for the razing of the mosque.

In the Lok Sabha, SP legislators called for punishment for those responsible for the demolition of the mosque. Countering them, Bharatiya Janata Party members shouted slogans and tried to raise the Nandigram issue. Joining the din, Congress legislators demanded action against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi who had recently justified the killing of a Muslim man in a fake gunbattle, which has led to arrest of a senior police officer.

In Hyderabad, parts of the city, especially the Muslim-majority old city, observed a shutdown to mark the occasion.

Shops, educational institutions and business establishments remained closed in the old city and the commercial hub around Charminar and Makkah Masjid wore a deserted look.

Buses and private vehicles remained off the roads in the old city and black flags were pitched on rooftops and on streets. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), which has its support base in the old city, and other Muslim organizations had called for a shutdown and observed the day as “black day.”