The Karnataka Police has enforced a complete clampdown in Mangaluru region following two separate incidents that triggered large protests. These were the result of clashes in Nagamangala, Mandya, where a Ganesh Visarjan procession was attacked, leading to conflict between two communities.
“We had asked the police not to allow a procession for Eid-e-Milad,” said Sharan Pumpwell, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Mangaluru divisional joint secretary, in a statement following the Nagamangala Ganesh Chaturthi incident.
This statement prompted a reaction from another community, which challenged the VHP to try and stop their Eid-e-Milad procession. The conflict escalated after an alleged voice message from Bantwal Town Municipal Council (TMC) former president Mohammed Sharif surfaced. In the social media post (which News18 cannot independently verify), Sharif is heard challenging Pumpwell to confront him during the Eid procession.
This retaliatory social media post sparked further tensions, prompting leaders from pro-Hindu groups, including the VHP and Bajrang Dal, to gather in protest along the planned procession route in Bantwal, on the outskirts of Mangaluru. Police deployed the Rapid Action Force to maintain law and order and imposed prohibitory orders to ensure peace.
Eid-e-Milad, which marks the birth of Prophet Muhammad, is being celebrated nationwide with processions on Monday.
“There is a section that is targeting Hindu festivals or our processions. Their objective is not political; they are targeting Hindus. They are also instigating. After the ban on the PFI, there have been more such incidents. We have a sense of fear and suspicion that in the name of taking out a procession on Eid-e-Milad, they may track Hindu shops or homes. I request the Centre not to allow their processions as it may cause further problems for Hindus,” Pumpwell said.
Another incident occurred the night before the festival at the Huda Jumma Masjid in Katipalla, further escalating tensions. It was reported that miscreants on a bike threw stones at the mosque, which had been decorated for Eid-e-Milad. The president of the mosque, K.H. Abdul Rahman, filed a police complaint, accompanied by photographs showing broken glass panes caused by the attack. Police later identified the attackers as members of the VHP.
“We have arrested six individuals connected to this incident, all affiliated with the VHP. The names of those arrested are Bhat Shetty, Chenappa Chalawadi, Nitin Hadapa, Sujit Shetty, Annappa and Pritam Shetty. The vehicles used, including a Swift car, two bikes, and four mobile phones, have been seized,” Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal told News18.
Regarding the protests in Bantwal involving several right-wing groups, including VHP and Bajrang Dal members, Yatish N, Superintendent of Police for Dakshina Kannada, stated that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure social harmony and the peaceful conduct of the Eid-e-Milad festival.
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