BAGALKOT: A week after a stone pelting incident during a Shivaji Jayanti procession in old Bagalkot city, protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party and pro-Hindu activists continued, with demonstrators demanding strict action from the district administration.
The incident occurred on February 19 night when some miscreants allegedly pelted stones from Pankha Masjid. Two persons, including the Bagalkot Superintendent of Police, sustained minor injuries.
Since then, BJP leaders and pro-Hindu activists have been raising the issue and putting pressure on the district administration to act against those responsible. The police have arrested eight persons in connection with the incident, and all of them have been remanded to judicial custody.
On Thursday, BJP leaders and pro-Hindu activists staged a protest in front of the Navanagar District Administration Building. They demanded action against the Masjid committee members, holding them responsible for the incident.
The protest was led by Hindu Samrakshana Samiti, which demanded that the Masjid be locked and relocated to another place. Organisers also gave the district administration a 15-day deadline to take action.
Hundreds of supporters took part in the sit-in and raised slogans calling for the immediate closure of the mosque. Leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the response of the district administration and police and warned that authorities would be held responsible for any future developments if action was not taken within the stipulated time.
Arvind Bellad, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, criticised the state government’s handling of the situation and questioned the late-night gathering that preceded the unrest. Leaders of several organisations alleged that similar incidents had taken place repeatedly over the past two years and accused the government of failing to prevent them.
Hindu activists claimed that earlier action in past incidents could have prevented the current situation and accused the police of filing cases against Hindus instead of those responsible for the stone pelting. They also demanded strict action against those involved in the violence and questioned the police arrangements during the procession.
Religious leaders and representatives of various organisations, including Sribasavananda Swamiji of Hansanur and the president of Hindu Sanrakshan Samiti, were present at the protest. Security has been tightened in the area following the demonstration.