at about the same time, the sufi poet, bhagat kanwar ram was assassinated. communal riots broke out in sukkur and there was a total strike which lasted 15 days. in november 1939, the sind hindu provincial conference, presided over by dr. moonje of the hindu mahasabha threatened muslims with retaliation if the mosque was not recovered by the government. while some sources claim that 17 muslims and 40 hindus were killed in the riots another claims that the toll of hindus killed was over 60.