Seven persons, including three policemen, were injured in a group clash at Kasba Bengre in Mangaluru late on Tuesday. Later, a few houses and a place of prayer were stoned in the same locality.
According to eyewitnesses, some residents of Tota Bengre had gone to a fishermen’s convention — organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) where national president Amit Shah was addressing the gathering — in Udupi on Tuesday evening, by hiring five buses.
While they were returning home at 10.30 p.m, a group of people in the last bus reportedly shouted slogans when their bus reached Kasba Bengre. This angered local residents, who blocked the road. There was a heated exchange between the two groups and people started to gather around and soon there was stone-pelting.
The police arrived at the spot and chased away the mob and brought the situation under control.
Two residents each from Tota Bengre and Kasba Bengre, who were injured in the stone-pelting, were admitted to private hospitals in the city. The three police personnel, who were injured, were also treated at a hospital.
Following this, some miscreants stoned a place of prayer and a few houses in Kasba Bengre in the early hours of Wednesday.
Police Commissioner T.R. Suresh said the Panambur police have registered complaints filed by Tota Bengre and Kasba Bengre residents. They have also registered a suo motu case against members of the group who indulged in stone-pelting.
Act condemned
Condemning the group clash, J.R. Lobo, Mangaluru City South MLA, told reporters here on Wednesday that this was a deliberate attempt by some miscreants to disturb the peace in an area where Hindus and Muslims have been living with amity. “I have instructed the police to arrest all those who were responsible for the clash,” he said.
Mr. Lobo commended community leaders from Tota Bengre and Kasba Bengre, who have been working since Tuesday night to calm ruffled feathers in the area. “They have stood guard the whole night to ensure there are no further untoward incidents,” he said, adding that a peace committee meeting was held in the area on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in a tweet on Wednesday, BJP national general secretary Muralidhar Rao said: “Kashmir stone-pelting has come to Karnataka under Siddaramaiah ji’s Govt! Yesterday fishermen who attended BJP meeting of Amit Shah were attacked and pelted stones.”
