Curfew Continues in Riot-hit Karnataka Town
Mar 2, 2010
Bangalore, March 2 (IANS) Curfew continued in Karnataka's riot-hit Shimoga town as did prohibitory orders banning crowds in Hassan, police said Tuesday, a day after two people were killed following protests against an article on the veil by Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen.
"The situation in the town is peaceful and under control. No untoward incident has been reported since Monday evening. The three-day curfew will be in force till Wednesday evening," Shimoga Superintendent of Police S. Murugan told IANS.
Police deployed additional forces in the town, about 280 km from Bangalore, to maintain law and order and stepped up vigil in sensitive areas where group clashes led to the death of two youth, one in police firing and another due to stab injuries.
The two victims have been identified as Latif, 25, and Sadiq, 23.
"We have booked nine cases under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections against unidentified culprits for indulging in riots and group clashes," Murugan said, adding that about 50 people have also been detained as a precautionary measure.
Hassan, about 180 km from this tech hub, has seen tension too with a violent demonstration and a protest rally. Police have clamped a ban order in the town under section 144 of the CrPC (criminal procedure code) to prevent any untoward incident and maintain peace.
Riots had broken out in the two towns after local language newspapers had published Nasreen's article on the practice of wearing a veil (purdah) by Muslim women, prompting protests by Muslims.
Police have registered criminal cases against the two newspapers in Kannada and Urdu which carried the controversial article.
"We have asked the newspaper editors and their managements to carry an apology on the front page of their editions Wednesday," Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa told reporters late Monday.
The main opposition Congress slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for the sporadic violence and lawless situation in the state, disrupting normal life.
"The government machinery has collapsed in the state as evident from the violence and riots that broke out Monday over an article published in local dailies Sunday," former deputy chief minister and Congress legislative party leader Siddaramaiah told reporters.
Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) law maker and former minister N.C. Nanaiah also criticised the government for failing to check the violence in the two towns.
"Though the chief minister recently said police firing was banned in the state, the death of a youth in such a firing at Shimoga Monday exposes his claims," Nanaiah pointed out.
The opposition parties also lamented the failure of police intelligence in anticipating the trouble from the publication of such a controversial article.
Shimoga is the home town of state Yeddyurappa; Hassan is the home town of former Indian prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda, who heads the JD-S in the state.
Curfew clamped in Shimoga after two killed in communal flare up
Shimoga, Mar1 (PTI) : Two persons were killed,including one in police firing, and four others injured today in violence during protests by Muslims over publication of an article penned by controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen in a vernacular daily.
The authorities imposed dusk-to-dawn curfew in four trouble-hit localities in old Shimoga, hometown of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.While one died in police firing, the other succumbed to injuries sustained in stone-pelting in hospital, police said.
A 1500-strong crowd took out a procession to express their anger over the Kannada translation of Taslima's article published on Sunday in a leading Kannada daily on burqa tradition.
The procession turned violent as some persons pelted stones on vehicles. At least 20 vehicles, including eight state transport corporation buses, were damaged.Police said as the situation threatened to go out of control, they opened fire, killing a person. Police said four others injured in stone-pelting have been hospitalised.
Violence in Shimoga
Pics : Violence in Hassan
Prohibitory orders was also imposed on the entire city and additional reinforcements of police rushed, Superintendent of Police S Murugan said.Hassan was also tense after 15,000 Muslims held a protest rally and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.
Several vehicles were damaged in stone-pelting and some shops were torched, police said.
Yeddyurappa, who made a suo motu statement in the state assembly on the violence in Shimoga and Hassan, said "the situation is under control now".
He said cases have been booked against those involved in violence. Sensing trouble over the article, the police heads in all districts were alerted on Sunday itself, he said, adding a strict vigil was being maintained.
Daijiworld Bangalore Correspondent Adds:
A delegation of Muslim leaders including former minister R Roshan Baig and several others met Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan this evening voicing concern over the outbreak of communal violence in Shimoga and Hassan districts and demanded immediate steps to restore normalcy.
The Governor, who gave a patient hearing to the delegation, assured them that he would take up the matter with the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Karnataka Home Minister Dr V S Acharya and ensure that suitable protection was given to the minority communities besies taking action against all culprits.
Meanwhile, the chief minister B S Yeddyurappa also held a high level meeting with prominent Muslim leaders including former minister R Roshan Baig, Congress MLA N A Harris and JD(S) MLC Abdul Azeem.
The chief minister, earlier in the evening, told the state legislative assembly that the government would take all steps to ensure that the law and order situation was kept under control and the safety and security of the minority community would be safeguarded. He urged the minority community not to fall prey to rumour mongering and cooperate with the government in restoring peace. He promised to take stern action against the culprits.