The Hindu : Karnataka News : Statue defiled, Nippani tense

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 16, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Others

Statue defiled, Nippani tense

Staff Correspondent

Prohibitory orders clamped until 5 p.m. on Saturday

After effects: A girl clearing broken glass pieces after miscreants attacked commercial establishments and private property in Nipani on Friday.

NIPANI: In a sudden outbreak of violence, miscreants in large numbers attacked commercial establishments and motor vehicles causing extensive loss to mainly private property following the desecration of the B.R. Ambedkar statue here on Friday. Tension prevailed in the town.

The district administration has imposed prohibitory orders till 5 p.m. on Saturday and ordered closure of all liquor shops till Saturday evening.

In addition to eight platoons of the District Armed Reserve police, four platoons of Karnataka State Reserve Police have been deployed to avoid escalation of violence.

Arrests

The police have arrested a few persons. Some persons were injured in stone pelting incidents, but there was no bloodshed as the violence was limited to attacking private property.

Trouble started when an employee of the Town Municipal Council (TMC) noticed a garland of footwear on the Ambedkar statue installed on the soffice premises at around 7.30 a.m.

As the news spread, Dalits gathered in large numbers near the office in less than an hour.

According to eyewitnesses, it was around 8.30 a.m. when more than 200 persons started pelting stones on commercial establishments on the either side of the TMC Road.

A larger group came back with lathis, clubs and rods and started attacking shops and vehicles. The violence spread to almost all localities in the town.

Eyewitnesses said that the miscreants went scot-free and kept on attacking shops and hotels, and even stationary motor vehicles parked in narrow lanes from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Though there were police contingents from the city, they remained mute spectators for nearly three hours.

They also said that the police acted only when other communities started retaliating.

When contacted, the District Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner, M. Maheshwar Rao, told The Hindu that the violence broke out suddenly.

The town had observed Dr. Ambedkar's birth anniversary in a peaceful manner on Thursday and everything was normal.

Mr. Rao said that buses were diverted away from the town for sometime. Normal bus services resumed late in the evening.

However, on receiving information about the violence, the Superintendent of Police, Hemant Nimbalkar, rushed to the spot with additional forces.

Since the appeals for peace yielded no response, the police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the violent mob.

The situation was brought under control in less than an hour, he said.

`Under control'

Mr. Nimbalkar claimed the situation is under control and peaceful. He ruled out the possibility of any retaliatory attacks.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti from Belgaum arrived here and tried to pacify the agitated Dalits.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section

Statue defiled, Nippani tense

Bayaluseeme board demands more funds

Boon for port is bane for Karwar

`Efforts being made to develop Chamarajanagar'

No ordinary village this

Calandria tubes installed at Kaiga atomic plant

Vishwakarmas seek special quota

Dacoits strike at dentist's house

TAPMI pact with U.S. varsity