Mumbai: Police opened fire in the air and clamped curfew in parts of the textile town of Solapur in Maharashtra on October 11 morning as miscreants, protesting US Baptist Minister Jerry Falwel's reported remarks against Prophet Mohammed, resorted to arson and heavy stone pelting.

"The mob had gathered to protest the Baptist Minister's statement and it suddenly started pelting stones and setting afire vehicles and shops in the Central part of the city," sources in the Solapur Commissionerate said.

Miscreants torched several vehicles, shops and buildings belonging to people from different communities in Tilak chowk, Balives and Tuljapurves areas of Central Solapur as protest turned violent, the sources added.

Police rushed to the spot and fired eight rounds in the air to quell the agitating mob.

Solapur police commissioner Bhagwantrao More and other senior police officials have rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.

Curfew has been imposed in parts of the city, the sources said, adding that police have appealed people not to believe in rumours and maintain calm and peace.

PTI