Communal tensions gripped Nagamangala town in Karnataka’s Mandya district on Thursday after a fight during a procession to immerse Ganesh idols on Wednesday escalated into stone-pelting, violence, vandalism and arson, leading the police to issue prohibitory orders.
The incident took place while devotees from Badarikoppalu were taking their Ganesh idols for immersion. As the procession made its way in front of a masjid, an argument broke out between groups of two communities, the police said. The situation escalated into stone-pelting within minutes.
Even as the procession was diverted towards the local police station, a group set fire to a few shops and torched tyres on the roads, heightening tensions, the police said.
The police baton-charged to disperse the crowd and issued prohibitory orders. A case has been lodged under Section 163 (power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, the police added.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday that about 52 people have been arrested. “Now, everything is under control…nothing to worry…Our senior officers are camping there and additional police force has been deployed,” he added.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.
