Karnataka - Belgaum   

`Puja to 32 deities' begins amid tension

By Our Staff Correspondent

Women, who were moved out, wait at the entrance of the Durga Devi Temple at fort while men were held up inside in Belgaum on Tuesday.

BELGAUM, AUG. 17. Despite prohibitory orders and assurance to the authorities on Monday night that only a few important leaders will perform puja to 32 deities as part of a religious ritual (to be observed for five weeks) beginning here on Tuesday, a large number of people took out a procession to pay their obeisance to the deities from morning till evening.

Barring some incidents of throwing of stones at the house of the Congress MLA, Ramesh Kudachi, and on a place of worship at Kaktives-Kangral galli, the procession and puja passed off peacefully.

The Margai Mandir Committee had announced that only a few leaders and women members would go ahead with puja late on Monday night. Subsequently, an assurance was given to the authorities at an emergency meeting with the Deputy Commissioner. A large number of women, men and youth gathered at Margai Mandir and Shani Mandir. The efforts of the police to prevent them from going ahead with the puja proved in vain.

The procession, which started at 11 a.m. from Shani Mandir, passed through Tahsildar Galli, A.B. Road, Bandurgalli, S.P.Road, Hosur, Basvan Galli, Patson Complex, Fort Road, Market Police Station, and Fort and then returned to Market Police Station junction via Chavat Galli, Jalgar Galli, Badkal Galli, Kangral Galli, Gondhali Galli, Samadevi Road, Ramdev Galli, Ganpat Galli, Panglu Galli, Mujawar Galli offering prayers to deities and culminated at Mahalaxmi Mandir in Basvan Galli, the presiding deity of the city. Prominent among who were part of the procession were the Mayor, Sambhaji Patil, the MP, Suresh Angadi, and the MLAs, Manohar Kinekar and Abhay Patil. Tension prevailed at Badkal Galli when a few of the processionists threw stones at the house of Mr. Kudachi. As the procession passed through Kangral Galli, some miscreants threw stones at a place of worship escalating tension.

Later, the Minister for Agriculture Marketing, Prakash B. Hukkeri, and the Superintendent of Police, Hemant Nimbalkar, visited Mr. Kudachi's house.

Mr. Kudachi said although the trouble initially started between two communities, it had now taken a political colour with the involvement of the Bharatiya Janata Party in organising such a procession in contrast to the assurance that only a few persons would perform puja. The procession was deliberately taken through Badkal Galli where his house was located, he alleged.

He said he did not participate in the procession but wanted to attend the puja at Mahalaxmi Mandir since the BJP would feel "hurt" by his presence.

Meanwhile, miscreants set fire to a fruit shop in Kadolkar Galli on Monday night. All educational institutions remained closed on Tuesday. There was tension at Sulebhavi, a village on the outskirts of the city, when some people hoisted a green flag on a temple. The police rushed to the village and pacified the villagers.

The Additional Superintendent of Police, S.K. Hegde, told The Hindu that the day passed off peacefully. There were no reports of trouble from any other part in the district. However, the police would maintain a strict vigil. He was said there was a strong reinforcement of 10 KSRP and eight DAR platoons, striking forces and follow-up parties.

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