Two people, including a policeman, were injured after a procession marking the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Bagalkot was disrupted by stone-pelting on Thursday, police said on Friday.
The incident occurred in the Kela area when the procession, which began earlier in the afternoon with official permission, passed in front of a mosque. Police said stones were thrown at officers accompanying the procession, briefly exacerbating tensions before the situation was brought under control.
“The procession started around 3:00 pm (Thursday). As it approached the mosque, two stones were thrown from a distance towards us (police),” Superintendent of Police Siddharth Goyal, who was present at the scene, told reporters on Friday.
He added that the police intervened immediately. He added, “Two people, one of them a police officer, were injured in a stone-throwing incident. The situation became sensitive for a short period, but the police intervened, dispersed the crowd and took control of the situation.” He added, “One of the policemen was injured in a stone-throwing incident.”
According to the police, the procession participants continued to beat drums and chant pro-Hindu slogans as they passed the mosque. Officials who reviewed surveillance camera footage claimed that those in the procession did not respond to the stone-throwing.
Kumaraswamy Hiremath, president of the Hindu Gajarana Vediki district, claimed that shoes were also thrown.
“Not only stones but also shoes were thrown from this side at the procession,” he said.
The violence reportedly spread to a nearby market, where three vegetable carts were set on fire. The police put out the fire, but one of the vendors reported the loss of goods and money.
Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders in parts of Bagalkot, including Old Bagalkot, Navanagar and Vidyagiri.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called for calm, saying: “The stone-pelting incident in Bagalkot is unfortunate. I appeal to all citizens to maintain peace and unity.”
State excise minister and district in-charge minister RB Timmapur said officials informed him of the matter and told him that two miscreants hurled stones that injured the police personnel. “I am with the SP and Deputy Commissioner. We are ensuring that no one is injured or affected by the incident and appropriate action is taken,” he said.
The episode also sparked criticism from the opposition. Opposition leader R. Ashoka: “There are growing suspicions among the people of the state that Hindu religious practices are being restricted under the anti-Hindu Congress government.”
“Has the anti-Hindu Siddaramaiah government opened a ‘stone-pelting department’ under its administration and is it rewarding communal miscreants through it?” He also asked whether state Home Minister G Parameshwara was informed about the incident.
Bagalkot City Deputy Superintendent of Police, Gajanan Sutar, told HT that the accused has been booked under multiple relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS), including unlawful assembly (Section 189), rioting (Section 191), affray (Section 194), creating riots (Section 192) and promoting enmity between groups (Section 196).
