Shivamogga: Communal tension has erupted in the city as an angry mob reportedly pelted stones at houses and vehicles, injuring several people with rumours of an impending attack on the Eid Milad procession.
So far 40 people have been arrested for this incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said and added that the state government will not tolerate such activities.
As of now, the district administration has imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the Ragi Gudda area of Shivamogga.
The stone-pelting incident took place in the area Sunday night. The trigger for this were the alleged protests against a cutout displayed as part of the Eid Milad procession.
The police had to hide a portion of the cutout due to its controversial content which led to dissatisfaction among members of a particular community.
In the communal tension that ensued, the police swung into action and dispersed the culprits and brought the situation under control. They also resorted to lathcharge and deployed Rapid Action Force to maintain law and order.
Shivamogga Superintendent of Police GK Mithun Kumar and other senior police officers also tried to defuse tensions by engaging both the communities in peace talks. (UNI)