About eight persons suffered injuries and 17 were arrested in connection with violence in Lucknow where members of the Shia and Sunni Muslim sects clashed over the question of passage to a Barawafat procession on Sunday, the birth anniversary of Prophet Mohammad.

Curfew has been clamped in Thakurganj and Chowk Police Circle areas.

According to district magistrate Ramendra Tripathi, "A group of Shia Muslims raised objection against a religious procession being taken out by the Sunni Muslims through a Shia-dominated Thakurganj locality; however, while the some were trying to sort out issues through dialogue, some mischief mongers started pelting stones at the procession."

He added, "A free for all ensued between the rival groups and soon snowballed into pitched battles."

Even as authorities persistently denied use of firearms by the miscreants, eyewitnesses and even mediapersons could hear gunshots in the narrow lanes and bylanes of the traditionally vulnerable walled city of Lucknow.

The city has a history of sectarian clashes between Shia and Sunni Muslims before a pact between leaders of the two sides had brought the traditional bitterness to an end for more than  a decade. However, sporadic clashes have still been witnessed .

Local citizens attribute Sunday's clashes to some kind of incitement by vested political interests in the wake of coming seven phased state assembly elections commencing next week.

With PTI inputs