Mangalore tense, curfew relaxed in Shimoga

The usually busy Nehru Road in Shimoga wearing the deserted look during the curfew on Tuesday. However, authorities have relaxed curfew on Wednesday to facilitate purchase of essential goods. Photo: Vaidya

Tension prevailed in parts of Mangalore while there was calm in Shimoga town on Wednesday which witnessed violent protests over an article purportedly written by Bangladeshi writer Tasleema Nasreen.

Unidentified persons had thrown a petrol bomb on the office of Kannada Prabha , a prominent Kannada daily which had carried the translated version of Ms. Nasreen’s purported article in its Sunday edition, besides stoning a local English eveninger here on Tuesday night.

Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders in the city and posted police pickets at all sensitive areas, besides deploying additional forces.

No untoward incident has been reported so far since last night, police said.

Meanwhile, the residents of Shimoga heaved a sigh of relief after authorities relaxed curfew in the morning to facilitate purchase of essential goods.

Shimoga, the home district of Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa, has been under curfew since two days after protests over publication of Ms. Nasreen’s article on the burqa tradition led to violence, claiming two lives, including one in police firing.

The district administration has ordered closure of schools and colleges for the second consecutive day today as a precautionary measure.