Karnataka: Tension in Shivamogga over Savarkar banners; curfew imposed

The Karnataka Police on Monday had to resort to lathi-charge and imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in Shivamogga district until further orders after a group of people reportedly tried to remove banners of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and replace them with Tipu Sultan's pictures, leading to clashes between groups of two faiths.

The police said the incident took place at the Ameer Ahmad circle in Shivamogga and the situation remains tense.

Some reports claimed that a person was stabbed during the violence. The row erupted after Muslim men removed the flex banner with the image of Savarkar alleging that he was a Hindutva leader, not a freedom fighter, reported Deccan Herald. This led to a verbal duel between the two groups. The cops then rushed to the spot and detained those who removed the banner with Savarkar's picture.

The report added that members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal staged a flash protest. Superintendent of Police BM Laxmi Prasad and other senior police officials rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.

On Saturday, tension erupted in the state capital after a right-wing leader tore down a poster of Tipu Sultan, in what appears to be a retaliation to a similar incident in Shivamogga in which Hindutva idealogue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s picture was brought down by some miscreants.

A video of which has gone viral on social media. Pro-Hindu leader Puneet Kerehalli and at least two others were arrested on Sunday by Halasuru Gate police for tearing down a poster of Tipu Sultan.

The first incident took place on Saturday night was in the communally sensitive Shivamogga district in which some miscreants had taken down the picture of Savarkar which was put up as part of the Independence Day celebration in the district. This had led to tensions as pro-Hindu groups protested against the actions.

Shivamogga had witnessed the peaking of communal tensions in February after a Bajarang Dal worker, Harsha Jingade, was murdered by four people who were Muslims.

The following day, a funeral procession led by then minister KS Eshwarappa, had led to right-wing groups attacking Muslim-dominated localities, damaging property and people.