Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Mar 6: Two groups fought on Wednesday over the issue of hanging banners near Chokkabettu mosque relating to blood donation camp organized by a group, Ahle Hadis. Two persons were injured in this incident, both of whom have got admitted into hospital.

The injured have been identified as Chokkabettu Hanif T M (43), and Imam of the mosque, Abdul Majeed (41).

It is gathered that recently, five persons, who had got separated from the local Salafi group, had formed their own group titled Ahle Hadis. This group had hung banners relating to blood donation camp being organized by it shortly near the mosque. The mosque management had objected to hanging of these banners near the mosque, saying that banners connected with mosque programmes alone can be hung there. It therefore removed the blood donation camp banner. The group had hanged the banner again. This banner was again removed by Hanif, member of the mosque executive committee, it is said.

It is learnt that when Hanif visited a school being run in a portion of the mosque building on Wednesday to deliver lock, members of Ahle Hadis group, Amir, Siddique, Hussain, Masnoon and Abdussalam attacked him with stones. It is said that when Imam of the mosque, Majeed, came there to stop the fight, he too was attacked.