Communal fury in city, outskirts leaves 2 dead, over 100 injured
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By CT reporter
MANGALORE : The city and its surrounding areas including Ullal, Suratkal and several parts of the district, witnesed incidents of violence and communal clashes, following sudden developments that caught the citizens unaware.
Everything began on tthe night of October 4 when a speeding mini truck carrying cattle ran over a pedestrian near Lalbagh and then dashed against two jeeps and headed towards the Kudroli slaughter house, only for the jeep drivers to chase it. But everything seemed to be pre-planned when a group that was all set in Kudroli to guard the mini truck began to hurl stones and bottles at the two jeeps. Eventually, a clash ensued and even a hotel in the vicinity was attacked.
The police force arrived at the spot but failed to take control of the situation the result of which was that several more vehicles passing that way were damaged. Even Mangalore MLA Yogish Bhat tried to pacify the two groups but failed in his attempt and the Bhajrangdal wasted no time in giving a call for a Mangalore bundh the next day.
The bundh was a forcible one and the city witnessed a splurge in violence with group clashes reported from various parts of the city with reports also mentioning of attacks on some places of worship. The prohibitory orders enforced under Section 144 was not of much help with the police force in the city seeming highly inadequate to tackle the situation more so because a signifcant police strength from here had already been sent to Chikmagalur. Even firing in the air and lobbing of tear gas shells failed in bringing the situation under control.
As if one bundh call was not sufficient, the Sri Rama Sene gave a call for another bundh the subsequent day -this time to protest against the arrest of its leader Pramod Mutalik in Chikmagalur. But this bundh call only gave further room for perpetrators of violence to have their way and the violence spread to several more parts of the district and Ullal witnessed much more violence after a place of worship was attacked near Deralakatte. Curfew was imposed in Ullal that day and extended even to Mangalore city and rural limits the next day. RAF and CRPF platoons were also deployed in the city and they conducted a flag march in the city and Ullal and other affected areas.
The clashes left two killed and over 145 injured. Nearly 408 persons were arrested, while there had been 273 preventive arrests. Nearly 121 vehicles were either damaged or torched during the violence. The number of shops damaged accounted to 105 while the total losses stood at over Rs 2 crore. One of the killed was the Imam of a mosque at the Bejai New Road in the city. He was fatally attacked by some miscreants. The other death took place in a stabbing case at Polali Addoor when a violent mob torched an ambulance after killing one Ibrahim who was inside it.
Curfew continued for three days with some relaxation in between when the violence hit areas returned to normalcy.
Several leaders right from the chief minister Kumaraswamy, deputy chief minister Yadiyurappa, home minister MP Prakash, union minister of state for home Prakash Jaiswal, former chief minister Dharam Singh, KPCC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajya Sabha member Janardhan Poojari, administrative reforms’ commission chairman Veerappa Moily, minorities commission chairman Mohammad Masood, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, Mangalore MP DV Sadananda Gowda and former minister Kagod Timmappa visited the riot hit areas and consoled the victims admitted to various hospitals.
The chief minister as well as the home minister ruled out a judicial probe into the violence as demanded by the opposition parties.
Compaints were heard from some BJP leaders that the son of the legislator of Ullal was behind the violence and also of the hands of organisations like SIMI. Even the home minister mentioned about the complaints and during his visit to the city said the government was planning to penalise the organisations that gave the bundh calls which ultimately turned violent.
MANGALORE : The city and its surrounding areas including Ullal, Suratkal and several parts of the district, witnesed incidents of violence and communal clashes, following sudden developments that caught the citizens unaware.
Everything began on tthe night of October 4 when a speeding mini truck carrying cattle ran over a pedestrian near Lalbagh and then dashed against two jeeps and headed towards the Kudroli slaughter house, only for the jeep drivers to chase it. But everything seemed to be pre-planned when a group that was all set in Kudroli to guard the mini truck began to hurl stones and bottles at the two jeeps. Eventually, a clash ensued and even a hotel in the vicinity was attacked.
The police force arrived at the spot but failed to take control of the situation the result of which was that several more vehicles passing that way were damaged. Even Mangalore MLA Yogish Bhat tried to pacify the two groups but failed in his attempt and the Bhajrangdal wasted no time in giving a call for a Mangalore bundh the next day.
The bundh was a forcible one and the city witnessed a splurge in violence with group clashes reported from various parts of the city with reports also mentioning of attacks on some places of worship. The prohibitory orders enforced under Section 144 was not of much help with the police force in the city seeming highly inadequate to tackle the situation more so because a signifcant police strength from here had already been sent to Chikmagalur. Even firing in the air and lobbing of tear gas shells failed in bringing the situation under control.
As if one bundh call was not sufficient, the Sri Rama Sene gave a call for another bundh the subsequent day -this time to protest against the arrest of its leader Pramod Mutalik in Chikmagalur. But this bundh call only gave further room for perpetrators of violence to have their way and the violence spread to several more parts of the district and Ullal witnessed much more violence after a place of worship was attacked near Deralakatte. Curfew was imposed in Ullal that day and extended even to Mangalore city and rural limits the next day. RAF and CRPF platoons were also deployed in the city and they conducted a flag march in the city and Ullal and other affected areas.
The clashes left two killed and over 145 injured. Nearly 408 persons were arrested, while there had been 273 preventive arrests. Nearly 121 vehicles were either damaged or torched during the violence. The number of shops damaged accounted to 105 while the total losses stood at over Rs 2 crore. One of the killed was the Imam of a mosque at the Bejai New Road in the city. He was fatally attacked by some miscreants. The other death took place in a stabbing case at Polali Addoor when a violent mob torched an ambulance after killing one Ibrahim who was inside it.
Curfew continued for three days with some relaxation in between when the violence hit areas returned to normalcy.
Several leaders right from the chief minister Kumaraswamy, deputy chief minister Yadiyurappa, home minister MP Prakash, union minister of state for home Prakash Jaiswal, former chief minister Dharam Singh, KPCC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajya Sabha member Janardhan Poojari, administrative reforms’ commission chairman Veerappa Moily, minorities commission chairman Mohammad Masood, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda, Mangalore MP DV Sadananda Gowda and former minister Kagod Timmappa visited the riot hit areas and consoled the victims admitted to various hospitals.
The chief minister as well as the home minister ruled out a judicial probe into the violence as demanded by the opposition parties.
Compaints were heard from some BJP leaders that the son of the legislator of Ullal was behind the violence and also of the hands of organisations like SIMI. Even the home minister mentioned about the complaints and during his visit to the city said the government was planning to penalise the organisations that gave the bundh calls which ultimately turned violent.
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