Mangaluru: Protest turns violent, police resort to lathi charge, several arrested

Bellevision Media Network

Mangaluru, 08 Dec 2014: The protest organized by VHP and other saffron outfits turned violent after police resorted to lathi charge as the protestors tried to sneak in into Ulaibettu entrance which was the prohibited area here on Monday December 8.

 
The angry protestors who were initially not willing to enter the prohibited area under section 144 later on demanded that they be allowed to enter Ulaibettu, despite their leaders tried to calm them in vain.

 
The police then ushered some of the protestors including Satyajit Suratkal into buses. Shenava too urged the protestors to board the buses to avoid being hit by stone pelting mob.

 

 
When the protestors refused to heed to their orders, the police resorted to lathi charge.

 
Sources said that a woman was injured in the stone pelting and taken to hospital.

 
The police have arrested two buses full of protestors, but the exact number of arrests will be ascertained later, said the city police commissioner. He also added that that they would be booked under relevant sections of IPC.

 
As the protest seemed to be getting out of control, Bajrang Dal leaders asked everyone to disperse and return to their homes.

 
The situation threatened to go out of hand when stones were pelted, but it is not clear if it was done by protesters or other locals against the protest.

 
The protest then came to an end and the crowd began to disperse.

Protest Rally

Earlier, a protest rally began from Vamanjoor. Simultaneously, the activists from Gurpur and other areas too were expected to converge at Parari junction here.

 
Swami Rajashekaranand of Gurpur, VHP leaders Jagadish Shenava, Satyajit Suratkal, Rama Sene chief Prasad Attavar and others were to lead the protest rally.

 
Addressing the protesters, Swami Rajashekaranand said, ‘I extended support to protest rally as a religious leader. Today the police have imposed Section 144, but where were they when Hindus were attacked? The culprits should be arrested by today,’ said Swami Rajashekaranand.