The Hindu : Front Page : Yeddyurappa appeals for calm, warns trouble-makers

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Tuesday, Mar 02, 2010
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Yeddyurappa appeals for calm, warns trouble-makers

Staff Reporter

— Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.

Damage control: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and Home Minister V.S. Acharya at the emergency meeting with top officials and Muslim leaders in Bangalore on Monday.

Bangalore: Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa has said that the State Government will not tolerate the publication of any derogatory article against any religion or faith.

Speaking to presspersons after chairing an emergency meeting of top officials here to take stock of the situation arising out of the violence in Shimoga, Hassan and some other parts of the State sparked by an article that appeared in a Kannada newspaper, Mr. Yeddyurappa said “an FIR has been filed against the publisher of the article”.

He urged the Muslims not to be swayed by rumours and to maintain the peace, and warned trouble-makers of stringent action. “The Kannada daily has expressed regret for publishing the article and said it was inadvertently published and [it] did not mean to hurt any religious sentiments,” he said.

The Maulana of Jamia Masjid in Bangalore, Riyaz-ul-Rehman, has also urged Muslims to remain peaceful.

Minister for Haj, Wakf and Minorities Welfare Mumtaz Ali Khan and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha K. Rahman Khan have appealed to people to maintain harmony and not take the law into their own hands.

In a statement here on Monday, the Minister said that certain statements in the article would hurt the sensibilities of people. “Islam is a religion which stands for peace. People should have expressed their hurt peacefully; it is wrong to resort to violence.”

It is the responsibility of the leaders of the community to maintain the peace in society. He urged writers and publishers to exercise caution while expressing their views.

‘SPs were alerted’

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Monday informed the Legislative Assembly that the Superintendents of Police in the districts had been alerted and cautioned on Sunday evening to take measures to tackle the situation arising out of the publication of the report.

Replying to Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah and Roshan Baig (Congress), who raised the issue, Mr. Yeddyurappa said that Muslims took out a procession in Hassan and presented a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner. A few persons in the mob began pelting stones on the petty shops owned by another community. The Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police visited the spot and dispersed the mobs, he said.

Mr. Yeddyurappa said that Hindus took out a procession in Hassan in protest against the stone-pelting and they damaged a number of two-wheelers. In some places, mobs from the two sides pelted stones at each other. Three two-wheelers, eight petty shops and one house were damaged in Hassan.

In Shimoga, Muslims took out a procession and damaged 12 motorcycles, one autorickshaw, two four-wheelers and eight KSRTC buses, he said.

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