Protest staged in Hubballi condemning Bagalkot stone-throwing incident

Members of various organisations, mainly Hindutva outfits, staged a protest at Ambedkar Circle in Hubballi on Thursday condemning the recent stone-throwing incident during a Shivaji Jayanti procession in Bagalkot.

The protesters garlanded the statue of B.R. Ambedkar at the venue and later placed a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the protest site before commencing the demonstration.

A road blockade was also organised for a few minutes as part of the protest.

Prateek of Bhagat Singh Seva Sangha said that the State government is favouring one community for political reasons and ignoring the concerns of others.

He called for unity among Hindus, stating that social divisions should be set aside for collective progress.

Sri Rama Sene national president Pramod Mutalik said that stones and footwear were thrown during the peaceful rally in Bagalkot and accused the State government of failing to act firmly against the trouble-makers.

He said that only a limited number of arrests have been made despite police personnel being injured during the stone-throwing incident.

He added that members of his organisation have submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner’s office demanding the arrest of all those present at the mosque during the incident, not just eight people, and demanded action against the mosque officials.

He accused the Congress of displaying arrogance and criticised what he described as its stance in historical and religious matters, referring to court affidavits and past controversies.

Calling upon members of the Hindu community to protest and be aware, he cautioned that failure to do so will lead to the recurrence of similar incidents.

Jai Bhim Sangha State president Vishwanath Godur said that those involved in the incident have no fear of the law. Referring to a video of the episode, he said that several people were present at the spot but only a few have been arrested.