A day after a bandh call over the alleged killing of BJP worker Paresh Mesta turned violent in Kumta, sporadic violence was again witnessed on Tuesday during a protest march organised by the BJP in Sirsi.
The police fired tear gas shells in Sirsi to control a BJP procession that turned violent. Anticipating trouble, the district police had clamped prohibitory orders in the entire Uttara Kannada district for three days from Monday night.
However, defying prohibitory orders, over a thousand BJP activists took out a protest rally amid heavy bandobast.
Trouble started after some protesters pelted stones on public transport buses and also towards police personnel.
“Some of the protesters indulged in stone-pelting while taking out a rally, forcing us to lathi charge the protesters. But they started throwing stones at us and subsequently we lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob,” said a senior police officer from Uattara Kannada. In the aftermath of the detention and lathi charge, there were reports about stone-pelting on two places of worship belonging to different faiths.
Hemant Nimbalkar, IGP (Western Range), said 70 people were arrested for rioting. The police also detained the former Minister Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri. Subsequently, the police stepped up patrolling in the city, making announcements warning troublemakers and appealing people to stay indoors.
In the evening, a peace committee meeting was held by senior officials involving members of various communities. Considering the grim situation, all senior police officials are camping in Sirsi.
Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde, who spoke to presspersons in Sirsi, accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of trying to cover up the murder of Mesta by projecting it as a case of unnatural death. He claimed that the BJP had not given any call for bandh, but people had gathered to pressurise the State government to take up proper investigation to into the death, he said.