Mangaluru district tense after communal violence, 6 held
Tension prevailed in Mangaluru district of Karnataka on Monday, a day after stones were allegedly pelted on a mosque in Katipalla following which six people were arrested
Tension prevailed in Mangaluru district of Karnataka on Monday, a day after stones were allegedly pelted on a mosque in Katipalla following which six people were arrested.
The incident was reported on the eve of Eid-e-Milad on Sunday, when some miscreants arrived on two motorcycles and pelted stones at the mosque damaging its window panes, mosque president KH Abdul Rahiman said in a complaint.
“Due to quick action, the situation was brought under control and no untoward incidents were reported in the area,” police officers said, adding that police deployment in the area has been bolstered.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Bharat Shetty (26), Chennappa Shivananad Chalavadi (19), Nitin Hadap (22), Sujit Shetty (23), Anappa alias Manu (24), and Preetham Shetty (34).
A separate case has been registered against VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell and Bajrang Dal’s Puneeth Attavar following an exchange of provocative statements between two groups on social media platforms leading to a huge gathering of people.
The people converged in the area following an alleged voice message of former president of Bantwal Town Municipal Council Mohammed Sharief “challenging” Pumpwell to “face them during the Eid-e-Milad procession”, officials said.
Police commissioner Anupam Agarwal said that those involved in posting inflammatory content on social media would face consequences. “We are actively monitoring social media platforms,” Agarwal said.
Four cases have been registered in connection with the incidents, police said.
According to police, cases have been registered against Mohammed Sharief and Mohammad Hasainar, a councilor of the Bantwal Town Municipal council. The police have also registered two cases against Pumpwell and Attavar.
Karnataka minister and Congress leader MC Sudhakar said that communal issues in Mangaluru were often driven by political motives.
“Mangaluru has always been a hot spot for communal politics. This unrest is not surprising,” he said and attributed the current tensions to a small group of miscreants from different religious communities.
“On every minor issue, you’ll see someone associated with the RSS or another group stirring tensions. Miscreants exist in every religion, and they are responsible for creating these problems,” the political leader added further.
In a bid to prevent any further violence during the ongoing Eid-e-Milad celebrations, the Rapid Action Force was deployed in Mangaluru.
Superintendent of Police Yatish N assured the public that the authorities had taken all necessary measures to maintain peace.
“We have implemented adequate security arrangements across the district to ensure no untoward incidents take place. Legal action will be taken against anyone disrupting peace,” he said.
A 48-hour liquor ban was also imposed here.
Meanwhile, some Muslim men allegedly took out a motorcycle rally on BC Road as a part of the Eid-e-Milad celebrations.
This happened just after the Bajrang Dal and other Hindutva outfits left the area after three hours of demonstration in the morning.
The Eid-e-Milad procession that was originally routed through the BC Road town was later diverted to inner roads as per the advice of the local leaders, officials said.
The above two incidents come against the backdrop of the violence that broke out during a Lord Ganesha idol procession in Mandya district last week.
According to police, an argument broke out between two groups when the Lord Ganesha idol procession by devotees from Badarikoppalu village reached a place of worship and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation. Following the clashes between the two groups, few shops were vandalised and vehicles set on fire, they added.
Police used mild force to disperse the crowd and manage the situation and 46 people were arrested in connection with the violence.