Lucknow, Mar. 11 : Over a dozen Sunni Muslims were injured in clashes with riot police on Tuesday for taking out a religious procession here.

The clash took place after the participants defied an Uttar Pradesh Government ban religious processions.

Authorities had denied permission to hold a procession on the occasion of Eid-E-Milad-Un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad, due to law and order problems.

Police resorted to baton-charge and fired tear gas shells to control the agitating mob.

The protesting Sunni Muslims blamed the authorities for dragging their feet on granting permission.

"We have been carrying out this procession for past 10 years and every time we were being delayed. We are not allowed to take out the procession and the media should highlight our issue, so that the government comes under pressure and gives us permission. Those opposed to us are not giving us permission," said Rahmatulla, a protester.

Police officials said the protesters were violating a ban order.

"The administration did not give permission to take out this procession. There were thousands of people in this procession, which we tried to stop. We tried to negotiate with them but they said either permit baton or us charge us. We then tried to stop them, which led to a scuffle between the members and the security personnel. RAF resorted to tear gas shelling, which hit the leg of a boy, and also a boy got an injury on his nose," said Raghuvir Lal, Senior Superintendent of Police (Lucknow).

The procession was banned in the mid-1980s in the state following violent clashes between Shias and Sunnis. (ANI)