Mandya accounted for 48.57% of communal violence cases in Karnataka since 2024

Mandya district accounted for nearly half of all communal violence cases registered in Karnataka since 2024.

According to a reply by Home Minister G. Parameshwara to a question from Congress member Madhu G. Made Gowda in the Legislative Council on Thursday (March 26), the State recorded a total of 70 communal clashes between 2024 and 2026, including incidents during Ganesh Chaturthi processions. Of these, 34 cases were reported from Mandya district alone.

Based on the Minister’s reply, a note issued by Mr. Gowda’s office stated that Mandya district alone accounted for 48.57% of the total communal violence cases in the State during this period.

Maddur, Nagamangala

The note further indicated that 24 cases were registered in Nagamangala in 2024, while 10 cases were reported in the Maddur police station limits in 2025.

In his reply, Mr. Parameshwara said that cases booked against 123 accused persons in Nagamangala and 88 in Maddur are at various stages of investigation. Disciplinary action, including suspension, has been taken against four police personnel — among them a Deputy Superintendent of Police and a Police Inspector — in connection with the violence during the Ganesh procession in Nagamangala in 2024. Action was also taken against a Police Inspector for disturbances during the Maddur Ganesh procession in 2025.

The loss to public property owing to communal violence in Mandya district in 2024 has been estimated at ₹4.59 crore, while the government has disbursed ₹24.55 lakh as compensation.

Special Action Force

Mr. Parameshwara also informed that a Special Action Force (SAF) has been constituted for Mandya district as per a government order dated November 26, 2025. The unit has been tasked with curbing communal clashes by prioritising action against hate speech and provocative content that threaten public harmony.

Headquartered in Mangaluru and led by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police, the SAF already has one company each in Udupi, Shivamogga, and Dakshina Kannada districts. Mandya now hosts the fourth company.

The SAF includes an intelligence wing to monitor media and social media for hate speech and communal triggers, generate early warnings through surveillance, track signs of radicalisation, and undertake confidence-building and area domination measures to prevent escalation.