Violence flares in Gujarat

The army had to step in for the police, witnesses say

At least 17 people were killed in renewed communal violence in the Indian state of Gujarat on Sunday and about 100 others were injured.

The Indian army has taken control of parts of the city of Ahmedabad and a curfew has been imposed in the worst-affected areas.

The Indian parliament was adjourned on Monday after opposition protests over the latest deaths.

More than 700 people have been killed in clashes between Muslims and Hindus in Gujarat since March, most of them Muslims.

The Indian parliament has been deadlocked for a week over the issue, with the opposition pushing for a debate and vote on the Gujarat situation.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said on Sunday there would be no discrimination on the basis of religion or politics in finding and prosecuting those involved in the violence.

Several injured

The latest deaths came as Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes visited Ahmedabad to assess how long the army needs to stay deployed there.

Some of the worst violence occurred in Gompitur district.

The authorities say a mob stabbed to death a policeman on his way to work.

Fernandes must decide when to withdraw the army

Four more people were killed in clashes there shortly afterwards which left several people seriously injured.

Witnesses said the police were too scared to try to stop the trouble, the AFP news agency reports.

The army has now been deployed there and in two other areas of the city where there was rioting on Sunday.

The defence minister's visit coincided with a political row over the Gujarat State Government's handling of the violence.

Parties both within the federal governing coalition and in the opposition have demanded the sacking of the state's Chief Minister, Narendra Modi.

He has been accused of turning a blind eye to the violence against Muslims.

But the main governing party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is standing by him.

A meeting to resolve the impasse in the federal parliament failed on Friday as the government refused to agree to an opposition demand to a debate on Gujarat followed by a vote.

Last week the Indian Army Chief, General S Padmanabhan, said he favoured the pull-out of troops as the situation was "normal".

At the end of his visit, Mr Fernandes said he would return to the state next week to take part in a march for peace.