BANGALORE, India, Jan 19 (Reuters) - At least 20 people were injured in Bangalore on Friday when police clashed with thousands of demonstrators protesting against the execution of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, police said. Police fired shots in the air and used tear gas to disperse crowds when a peaceful demonstration by Muslims turned violent in the southern city, the centre of India's technology industry. "Stone-throwing incidents have been reported and some shops and vehicles have also been damaged," Bipin Gopalakrishna, a senior police officer, told Reuters. "Police opened four rounds in the air to bring the situation under control." He said 20 people were injured in the clashes. Violence broke out when demonstrators tried to force Hindu shopkeepers to close their shops in the communally sensitive area of Shivajinagar in the centre of the city. Authorities said the situation was under control but the atmosphere remained tense with about 400 armed policemen deployed to maintain order. India has an estimated 140 million Muslims, the world's third-largest Islamic population after Indonesia and Pakistan. The country has seen several protest since Saddam was hanged in December.
