: A small section of people who try to foment communal violence in society should be isolated and the government will take stringent action against such elements, state Home Minister M B Patil said Friday.

He was speaking after inaugurating a three-day Beary Mela organised by the Beary Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) here.

Patil said while 99 per cent of the population wanted to live in peace and harmony, one per cent was creating trouble on communal lines.

People who come forward to isolate such miscreants would get support from the government, he said.

The mela was aimed to create awareness on Beary culture and contribution to society and to promote business entrepreneurship.

Beary is an ethnic Muslim community in Dakshina Kannada district, who also speak beary, a language without script.

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