Tension in Karnataka after stone-pelting at Shivaji Jayanti procession
What's the story
Tension gripped Karnataka's Bagalkote after a stone-pelting incident during a Shivaji Jayanti procession on Thursday night after namaz had concluded. The clash broke out when the procession was passing a mosque. Some Hindu groups claimed that stones were hurled from the mosque's side and accused people inside of pelting stones at the procession. Following the tension, police have imposed prohibitory orders in Bagalkote till February 24 and arrested eight people involved in the incident.
Ongoing investigation
What reports are saying
According to reports, when the procession reached the mosque, the DJ music reportedly increased, and the participants stopped there to dance and raise slogans, which people inside the mosque objected to. To ease the matter, police officers on the spot reportedly entered the mosque to talk to the Muslim side. However, the situation escalated when someone allegedly tossed a slipper at the procession. Shortly after, some miscreants allegedly threw stones at the procession from within the mosque, triggering unrest.
Investigation underway
Only 2 stones thrown, no injuries: Police
Police then intervened again, using mild force to disperse the crowd. Superintendent of Police Siddharth Goyal confirmed that only two stones were thrown during the incident, landing on police personnel. He said, "No member of the public was injured. The stones hit police personnel who were wearing helmets." Goyal also dismissed rumors of major injuries and clarified that no devotees or idols were harmed during the procession.
Aftermath
No major disruption to procession
He said the Shivaji Jayanti procession continued for about one and a half hours and ended peacefully. "People dispersed without any issue. There is no crowd gathering now and the situation is peaceful," he added. He also refuted allegations that this was a pre-planned attack on devotees or idols. Police, however, said they were reviewing video footage to determine who threw the stones.