Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Feb 11: After Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD) staged an unexpected protest on Wednesday February 10 at Uppinangady, alleging involvement of communal politics in the eviction of petty shops in the town, the situation went out of control. The policemen resorted to caning to control the mob. The policemen said that six KFD activists have been taken into custody relating to the disturbances.

Illegal petty shops in Uppinangady had been evicted in an operation the previous week.  Most of the shop keepers had voluntarily vacated their places. A few petty shops appeared at different spots on Tuesday February 9. As the Puttur assistant commissioner had warned the officials that they would be held responsible for illegal shops, the officials got these shops vacated again on Wednesday.

A crowd of KFD activists suddenly held a rally in front of the panchayat office, alleging that Muslims had alone been chosen for the eviction operation. Even after the policemen warned them that protests cannot be held without prior permission, the protestors continued with slogan shouting and dharna in front of the revenue office and the police station. The protestors engaged in a verbal duel with the policemen, following which the policemen caned the protestors to disperse them. Six people, Abdul Aziz Ninnikal, Sarfan Volal, Salim Ubar, Kalandar Shaffi, Mustafa Nekkilady and Mustafa Perne were arrested by the policemen.

In the meanwhile, the public works department has served notices on illegal buildings, shops and establishments on Uppinangady-Kadaba-Subrahmanya Road. They said that they would evict the illegal structures by Saturday February 13.