DHARWAD: Tension prevailed on Saturday evening at Nuggekeri Hanuman temple in Dharwad after members of right-wing members and pro-Hindu organisations destroyed the watermelons belonging to the Muslim community seller. As many as four such pushcarts were destroyed.
The members who arrived shouting slogans started to throw the fruits and other items from the pushcarts belonging to the Muslim community. The tense situation gripped as both the community members get into heated arguments and later the intervention of the police controlled the happenings. However, police troops have camped on the temple premises.
The pro-Hindu activists alleged that they have given the memorandum to the temple authorities around fifteen days back seeking not to permit other religious people for doing business and the same was also convinced to the people involved in the business at the temple premises. But people doing business have ignored the requests and finally, they have to face the heat.
A trader named Nabisab, hailing from Muslim community, said from the last 15 years he is in the same business and there were no issues with Hindu brothers but the sudden change by a few members has made him to worry.
"The temple authorities or anybody haven't instructed us to vacant the place. We have faced a loss of thousands of rupees and who is responsible. A police constable was on the spot but he was helpless as the group of people were doing ruckus,” he added.
The senior administrator at the temple said they were not aware of the issue and now the meeting is being held to know what has happened.
A senior police officer said the meeting is will be held with temple authorities and after a detailed investigation the further course of action will be decided.
Dharwad rural police have registered a case against the right-wing members who vandalised the fruits