Udupi: Kaup Under Control as Section 144 Continues - Peace Meeting Likely
Report and Pics by Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD/SP)
Udupi, Mar 16: The district administration has clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 in Kaup surroundings near here since Sunday March 15 night, after it witnessed incidents of heavy stone pelting by some miscreants holed up in the compound of a mosque, on the vehicles that were carrying people back to their locations, from the mega Hindu Samajotsav held at Mangalore on Sunday evening. The district superintendent of police Praveen Madhukar Pawar was injured after a stone hit him when he was about to alight from his police car at the place where the incident occurred.
The leaders of various communal outfits present at the time tried to convince the mob not to retaliate to the provocative action of the miscreants by hurling stones back at the mosque. The policemen have been positioned in large numbers near the spot where the incident took place and also along the national highway 17 at Kaup, since immediately after the incident.
Meanwhile, the situation remains tense in Kaup. Although it looks calm, it remains sensitive and fragile, threatening to blow up any time, as on the afternoon of Monday March 16. Prohibitory orders under section 144 will remain in force till Wednesday March 18 morning. Hundreds of people were found gathered in the compound of the mosque from where stones were pelted on the vehicles returning from Samajotsav on Sunday.
Despite the prohibitory orders having been in force, former minister and local resident Vasant V Salian was found discussing the issue near the mosque with several people on Monday morning. However, the policemen posted at the spot urged him to stay away from the spot and dispersed the crowd so as not to give scope for fomenting further trouble.
Sources informed that leaders of all the communities are likely to take part in a peace committee meeting to be convened here shortly, to bring together groups that are at loggerheads and restore peace and harmony in the locality, in consultation with the district administration and the police.
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