Bantwal: Road Blockade, Police Resort to Lathi Charge
Report and pics from Stanley Bantwal
Updates at 11.00 am IST
Bantwal, Sep 15: When some miscreants threw a bottle at the protestors at the B C Road junction, the situation turned violent and the police resorted to caning. In the melie Fr Vincent Coelho of the Bambil church injured and later admitted to a local hospital for treatment.
At around 7 am today, hundreds of Christians gathered at the B C Road Circle and blocked the road, in protest against the attack on churches and prayer centres. The road blockade continued for about 90 minutes. Congress MLA Ramanath Rai addressed the protestors there. He condemned the attack on the churches, terming it as an assault on democracy. He urged the government to immediately arrest the guilty and indict them for their deeds.
As vehicles were stranded on both the sides, the policemen present requested the protestors to clear the road. The crowd refused to budge. The policemen then resorted to caning. The protestors then dispersed, but pelted stones at several vehicles, damaging a few of them, while retreating.
The road is cleared now temporarily, paving way for normal vehicular movement.
Initially the protest was peaceful, but the trouble started after some one threw a bottle at the crowd. The crowd went berserk thereafter, leading to pelting of stones and lathi charge. As the people ran helter-skelter after the caning, miscreants threw stones at them. Several people were injured both due to caning and stone pelting.
Several Hindus had gathered at the nearby Rakteshwari temple and reportedly accumulated stones and iron rods aimed at attacking the protestors. However, the policemen diffused the situation.
Prohibitory orders under section 144 have been issued in Bantwal and Puttur towns. The situation appears to be limping back to normalcy now.
Mangalore: Bundh Total, Roads Blocked, Security Forces Keep Vigil
Pics by Prajwal Ukkuda
Mangalore, Sep 15: The people of the district in general and Mangaloreans in particular, are bracing up for another day of inactivity. Buses and other means of public transport are off the roads. A handful of private vehicles and rickshaws are seen on the road, which wear a deserted look as of now. Markets and shops remain closed as of now. There is every possibility that the normal life will remain crippled today too.
The bandh has been total all over the district, being observed against attack on Christian prayer centres by miscreants allegedly owing allegiance to some Hindu outfuits and subsequent caning and bursting of teargas shells by the policemen against the agitating Christians.
Roads were blocked at several places by mobs early morning, by placing rocks across the roads at several places, affecting movement of vehicles. However, the policemen later removed the blocks and dispersed the mobs, clearing the roads at places like Derlakatte, Kulshekhar and Bejai. Government buses started plying in the morning, but suspended operations later, sensing trouble.
Christians have gathered in front of almost all the churches in the district. Additional forces have been deployed in the city to control the situation. Police squads have been moving around the city to ensure that law and order prevails. The police squads have also been guarding churches, apart from strategic and sensitive points.
As of now, schools have not yet opened because of the absence of public transport. District deputy commissioner M Maheshwar had on Sunday said, that schools and colleges will function normally from Monday September 15 and there was no reason for them to remain closed.
Newspaper offices were flooded with calls on Sunday September 14 to enquire as to whether educational instutitions would remain closed today.
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