The arrested persons were identified as Mohammad Shareef, former chairman of Bantwal Municipal Corporation and his relative Hasinar, police sources said. The case has been filed against VHP Dakshina Kannada divisional deputy secretary Sharan Pumpwell for inciting comments.
Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police (SP) N. Yathish said the Eid Milad procession and a protest by Hindu activists have been peaceful and normalcy has been completely restored in the BC Road region in Bantwal taluk, near Mangaluru city. "BC Road has returned to normal and the police have brought the situation under control," Yathish said.
“The police did not change the route of the Eid Milad procession. We had given permission to Hindu organizations that had sought permission to organize a peaceful protest. We have warned them that legal action will be taken if anything goes wrong,” said SP Yathish.
“Proceedings have been initiated against two people for disseminating the provocative audio. Mohammad Shaeer and Hasinar have been arrested. We held peace meetings for Eid Milad and Ganesh festival celebrations much earlier. No untoward incident has occurred so far and we will not allow anything to go wrong in future,” SP Yathish said.
Security on BC Road will be organized according to circumstances, he added.
Tension prevailed in the communally sensitive coastal district of Dakshina Kannada on Monday as Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal called on Hindus to take out a procession on BC Road in Bantwal taluk near Mangaluru city on the occasion of Eid Milad.
Police officers went to the scene and a tense situation reigned in the area.
Hindu activists claimed that the call for the procession was in response to provocative statements made by a Muslim leader, who allegedly challenged Hindu leaders to come to BC Road during the Eid Milad celebrations. Angered by this, the VHP and Bajrang Dal urged Hindus to gather on BC Road. When leaders and workers of Hindu organizations reached the Raktheshwari temple on BC Road in large numbers, Dakshina Kannada SP, N. Yathish rushed to the spot and police reserve platoons were also deployed in the area.
The police, as a precautionary measure, denied permission for the Eid Milad procession to pass through BC Road and provided an alternative route.
The Hindu workers staged a sudden protest, chanting slogans such as "Jai Bhajrang" and "We have come, where are you?", as the police tried to stop them.
Protesters attempted to move down BC Road, but police managed to stop them after considerable effort.
SP Yathish later spoke to the Hindu leaders and tried to calm the situation. However, they rejected the police's assurance to file a complaint over the provocative statements and demanded more decisive action, expressing frustration at the perceived inaction they had observed over time.
Bantwal VHP president Prasad Kumar claimed that Hindu workers and leaders had gathered on BC Road in response to the call for a protest. "We decided to organize a protest after accepting the challenge from Muslim leaders," he said.
Addressing the Hindu activists, VHP Dakshina Kannada deputy divisional secretary Sharan Pumpwell stated that the challenge posed to him and his followers to come to BC Road during the Eid Milad procession was not just a challenge for him but a challenge for the entire Hindu community. “That's why we are here. I condemn the actions of the police to prevent our demonstration. I have not issued any provocative statements. In the city of Nagamangala, Hindu shops are set on fire. The person who made the challenge should have been here,” she maintained.
The tensions were sparked by comments by Mohammad Shareef, former chairman of Bantwal Municipal Corporation, who had challenged Sharan Pumpwell to come to BC Road during Eid Milad. This was a reaction to Pumpwell's speech on the recent violence during the Ganesh Visarjan in Nagamangala town, Mandya district. Sharan Pumpwell had stated that if Hindus decide, they will not allow the procession on BC Road.
Although the police have brought the situation under control, the atmosphere in the region remains tense.
Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police (SP) N. Yathish said the Eid Milad procession and a protest by Hindu activists have been peaceful and normalcy has been completely restored in the BC Road region in Bantwal taluk, near Mangaluru city. "BC Road has returned to normal and the police have brought the situation under control," Yathish said.
“The police did not change the route of the Eid Milad procession. We had given permission to Hindu organizations that had sought permission to organize a peaceful protest. We have warned them that legal action will be taken if anything goes wrong,” said SP Yathish.
“Proceedings have been initiated against two people for disseminating the provocative audio. Mohammad Shaeer and Hasinar have been arrested. We held peace meetings for Eid Milad and Ganesh festival celebrations much earlier. No untoward incident has occurred so far and we will not allow anything to go wrong in future,” SP Yathish said.
Security on BC Road will be organized according to circumstances, he added.
Tension prevailed in the communally sensitive coastal district of Dakshina Kannada on Monday as Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal called on Hindus to take out a procession on BC Road in Bantwal taluk near Mangaluru city on the occasion of Eid Milad.
Police officers went to the scene and a tense situation reigned in the area.
Hindu activists claimed that the call for the procession was in response to provocative statements made by a Muslim leader, who allegedly challenged Hindu leaders to come to BC Road during the Eid Milad celebrations. Angered by this, the VHP and Bajrang Dal urged Hindus to gather on BC Road. When leaders and workers of Hindu organizations reached the Raktheshwari temple on BC Road in large numbers, Dakshina Kannada SP, N. Yathish rushed to the spot and police reserve platoons were also deployed in the area.
The police, as a precautionary measure, denied permission for the Eid Milad procession to pass through BC Road and provided an alternative route.
The Hindu workers staged a sudden protest, chanting slogans such as "Jai Bhajrang" and "We have come, where are you?", as the police tried to stop them.
Protesters attempted to move down BC Road, but police managed to stop them after considerable effort.
SP Yathish later spoke to the Hindu leaders and tried to calm the situation. However, they rejected the police's assurance to file a complaint over the provocative statements and demanded more decisive action, expressing frustration at the perceived inaction they had observed over time.
Bantwal VHP president Prasad Kumar claimed that Hindu workers and leaders had gathered on BC Road in response to the call for a protest. "We decided to organize a protest after accepting the challenge from Muslim leaders," he said.
Addressing the Hindu activists, VHP Dakshina Kannada deputy divisional secretary Sharan Pumpwell stated that the challenge posed to him and his followers to come to BC Road during the Eid Milad procession was not just a challenge for him but a challenge for the entire Hindu community. “That's why we are here. I condemn the actions of the police to prevent our demonstration. I have not issued any provocative statements. In the city of Nagamangala, Hindu shops are set on fire. The person who made the challenge should have been here,” she maintained.
The tensions were sparked by comments by Mohammad Shareef, former chairman of Bantwal Municipal Corporation, who had challenged Sharan Pumpwell to come to BC Road during Eid Milad. This was a reaction to Pumpwell's speech on the recent violence during the Ganesh Visarjan in Nagamangala town, Mandya district. Sharan Pumpwell had stated that if Hindus decide, they will not allow the procession on BC Road.
Although the police have brought the situation under control, the atmosphere in the region remains tense.
