Communal clash in Kerur over SC observation on Nupur Sharma, 3 stabbed, CrPC 144 imposed.

Three stabbed and several injured in communal clash at Kerur town in Bagalkot district of Karnataka. Prohibitory orders have been clamped to contain the communal violence between Hindus and Muslims. Nine arrested so far.

Communal clashes broke out between different communities over the issue  connected to Justice Surya Kant and Justice Pardiwala’s observation on suspended BJP leader  Nupur Sharma.

B Upendran | HENB | Bangalkot | July 7, 2022:: injured in a clash between two groups of different communities in Kerur town on Wednesday evening.

A war allegedly broke out between members of Hindu and  Muslim communities at a bus stand over the issue  connected to Justice Surya Kant and Justice Pardiwala’s observation on suspended BJP leader  Nupur Sharma that turned into a communal clash when both the warring parties tried some vegetable carts and a bike on fire. All these happened after stabbing with knife upon some members of right wing Hindutva group members by a ‘particular community’ mob all of a sudden.

At least ten push carts and five vehicles were torched by angry mobs. J.B. Majjigi, Tahsildar, Badami, has clamped prohibitory orders under CrPC 144 from Wednesday night to Friday night. All schools and colleges in the town will remain closed on Thursday and Friday.

Arun Kattimani, Lakshman Kattimani and Chungi Yamanur with stab wounds were told as Hindu Jagaran Vedik members. Bande Nawaz Gokak received a head injury. All four are admitted to a local hospital and are said to be out of danger. Other injured persons were treated by local dispensaries.

S. Jayaprakash, Superintendent of Police, and P. Sunil Kumar, Deputy commissioner, visited the town, and the police have taken five persons into custody.

An official release from the Tahsildar office said that a verbal duel between Arun Kattimani and Yasin Pendari turned into an incident of communal violence.

While the police maintain that a street harassment incident involving a woman led to the clash, some others argue that the fight was over a social media post by a woman doctor belonging to anti-BJP group.

The doctor allegedly posted a message opposing former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s statement against Prophet Mohammad, questioning the inaction against her in the line of recent oral observations made by a supreme court bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, comprising with Justice JB Pardiwala. This allegedly angered members of a right-wing group who went to the police seeking the arrest of the doctor. The local police did not entertain them and refused to register an FIR.

But, many media houses wanted to depict the matter of clash as cases of ‘personal issue’ or ‘eve teasing’.

Arun Kattimani was part of the group that tried to file a complaint against the doctor. Another group took objection to this and questioned Arun why he went to the police. That led to a fight, a police officer on the condition of anonymity said.

“My son Arun was the district secretary of a Hindutva organisation. He would often go to police stations and other offices to resolve disputes and protect young boys who were being falsely accused of a crime,’’ Ramanna Kattimani said at the hospital where the victims were admitted. “They targeted my son as they wanted to stop the rise of Hindutva forces in Kerur,’’ he added.

P. Kumar Swami, Hindu Jagaran Vedike leader, has sought action against the accused, threatening direct action otherwise.

Police arrested nine persons so far related to the Kerur communal clash, as reported.

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___Inputs from TNN and Agencies.