The Hindu : DMK men clash with police in Bangalore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 09, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

DMK men clash with police in Bangalore

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE MAY 8 . Police lobbed teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge to disperse an irate mob which indulged in stone throwing in Srirampuram Police Station limits here today while protesting against the removal of a DMK flag by Kannada activists.

While at least three policemen were injured in the stone throwing, a local corporator, Muniraju, suffered head injuries in the lathicharge by police. A few others were also injured in the lathicharge.

At about 11 a.m., more than 2,000 members of various Kannada organisations took out a procession in Sriramapuram to protest against the burning of a Kannada flag in the neighbouring Dayanandanagar locality on Monday.

As the protest march, which started from Govindarajnagar, was heading towards Sujatha cinema, a few people in the procession started hurling stones at buildings and passing vehicles. They allegedly removed a DMK flag from the post in front of the party office and tore it. They reportedly pulled down a cut-out of a local DMK leader, Palaniswamy, who had unsuccessfully contested the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) election from Sriramapuram ward. Enraged by this, hundreds of Tamil supporters led by Mr. Palaniswamy laid a siege to the Sriramapuram Police Station and demanded action against the culprits. They also threatened to take out a counter-procession to protest against the removal of the DMK flag.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), M. C. Narayana Gowda, who was addressing the crowd was allegedly jostled by the protesters who insisted that he speak in Tamil. Even as the police officials were assuring them that they would initiate action against the miscreants, some people in the crowd started hurling stones at them, the Commissioner of Police, S. Mariswamy, told The Hindu.

In order to disperse the unruly mob, police burst eight teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge. Police officers Jayavanth Singh and Jai Shekar and a constable-cum-videographer, Bogesh, were injured in the stone throwing.

Meanwhile, as police took a youth, Manohar, into custody on a charge of rioting, his brother and the Dayanandanagar corporator, Mr. Muniraju, intervened and tried to get the former released. According to Mr. Narayana Gowda, Mr. Muniraju suffered a head injury when he was hit with a lathi during an altercation with the police. Mr. Muniraju is said to be out of danger.

Mr. Mariswamy said the situation in the area was peaceful.

Security has been heightened in the area and senior officers are camping there.

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