Two people, including a police constable, 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 took place in the Killa locality as the procession, which had begun earlier in the afternoon with official permission, moved past a mosque. Police said stones were thrown toward officers accompanying the procession, briefly heightening tensions before the situation was brought under control.
“The procession began around 3:00 pm (on Thursday). As it approached the mosque, two stones were thrown from a distance toward us (police),” Superintendent of Police Siddharth Goyal, who was present at the scene, told reporters on Friday.
He said police intervened immediately. “Two people, including a police personnel, were injured in the stone-pelting incident. The situation turned sensitive briefly, but intervention by the police, who dispersed the crowd and brought the situation under control,” he said. He added, “One of our police constables was injured in the stone-pelting incident.”
According to police, participants in the procession continued beating drums and shouting pro-Hindu slogans as they passed the mosque. Officials reviewing CCTV footage claimed those in the procession did not respond to the stone pelting.
Hindu Jagarana Vedike district president Kumaraswamy Hiremath alleged that footwear was also thrown.
“Not only stones but also footwear were thrown from that side on the procession,” he said.
Violence reportedly spread to a nearby market, where three vegetable carts were set on fire. Police extinguished the flames, but one vendor reported losing goods and cash.
Authorities imposed prohibitory orders in parts of Bagalkot, including Old Bagalkot, Navanagar and Vidyagiri,
Chief minister Siddaramaiah appealed for calm, saying, “The incident of stone pelting in Bagalkot is unfortunate. I appeal to all citizens to maintain peace and unity.”
State excise minister and minister in-charge of the district, RB Timmapur said he had been briefed by officials, who told him that two miscreants had thrown stones that struck police personnel. “I am with the SP and the Deputy Commissioner. We are ensuring that no one is hurt or affected by the incident and that appropriate action is taken,” he said.
The episode also drew criticism from the opposition. Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka said, “There is growing suspicion among the people of the state that Hindu religious practices are being restricted under the rule of 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 asked, also questioning whether state home minister G Parameshwara had been informed about the incident.
Bagalkot City deputy superintendent of police Gajanan Sutar told HT that the accused had been booked under multiple relavant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS), including unlawful assembly (Section 189), rioting (Section 191), affray (Section 194), provoking a riot (Section 192), and promoting enmity between groups (Section 196).