Troops called out after fresh violence in Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: Indian troops were called out in the western state of Gujarat on Wednesday amid fresh incidents of Hindu-Muslim violence one month after the eruption of India's worst sectarian bloodshed in nearly a decade.

A curfew was imposed in one district of Gujarat's commercial capital Ahmedabad after a house was burned down by a mob on Wednesday morning. Troops were also called in to patrol the area and disperse crowds of stone-throwing youths.

In another incident in Viramgam, some 60 kilometres from Ahmedabad, a 75-year-old woman was burned alive at her home late Tuesday night, police officials said.

Gujarat's beleaguered Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has been severely criticised for failing to contain the violence, held talks in New Delhi on Wednesday with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to review security in the state.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Modi ruled out his resignation and said his discussions with Vajpayee and Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani had been "exhaustive, detailed and satisfactory". Modi said he had given the prime minister a detailed briefing on measures aimed at restoring normalcy in Gujarat. He said about 97,000 people were housed in 101 relief camps and would return home when "they felt confident enough to return"