Mangalore: Tight security in Ullal; parties begin blame-game
Mohan Kuthar
Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Updated
Mangalore, Feb 7: Just as Ullal seemed to be returning to normalcy on Thursday February 6 during the day, fresh incidents were reported at night compelling the police to step up security in the town.
Over 50 persons have been taken into custody and taken to Wenlock hospital for check-up. They were produced in court on Friday February 7 morning.
Fresh incidents of violence were reported in places like Thokkottu Olapete, and stones were pelted at Bhajan Mandir and other places in Ullal.
Police commissioner R Hitendra speaking to daijiworld confirmed that curfew has not been imposed as announced earlier, but added Section 144 will continue.
Also, latest reports claimed that a bus was pelted at Chembugudde in which a child was injured.
Mogaveerapatna and other areas in Ullal which had witnessed unrest on Wednesday February 5 seemed to be slowly limping back to normalcy on Thursday during the day. With Section 144 in place, most of the locals preferred to stay indoors and shops remained closed. Traffic came to a standstill and buses ran empty.
However, on Friday February 7 morning, the police imposed curfew, banning movement of vehicles into Ullal town. Nakabandi was also imposed in a couple of areas.
Tight security has been deployed, with additional police teams being called from Shimoga and other districts.
The clashes reportedly sparked off after a few miscreants knocked at the door of a house and tried to molest a woman, and beat up her son Manish Kotian when he came to her rescue.
Shops and other businesses remained shut across Thokkottu and Ullal, and those which wanted to do business as usual were forcibly shut by the police, said sources.
Minister U T Khadar, who is also the MLA of Ullal constiteuncy visited the spot on Thursday evening and also visited the hospital where the injured Manish has been admitted. He then proceeded to Mogaveerapatna where he visited the houses of Lolaksha, Varija and Manish which had been attacked. As the news of the minister's visit spread, people started assembling in Mogaveerapatna, and sensing that it may lead to more trouble, the police requested the minister to leave.
Khadar then visited Kotepura houses that had been damaged in the stone pelting incidents. One of the residents said that though he had caused no harm to anyone, his family as well as his house had been attacked. While Khadar was leaving Kotepura after visiting another house, people approached him and complained that the police had taken innocents into custody. Again the police asked the minister to leave the place before any trouble arose.
Meanwhile, a team of BJP members and workers led by party state vice-president Sulochana Bhat visited injured persons and damaged houses in Mogaveerapatna. Former MLA Yogish Bhat too visited the spot.
A few sporadic incidents were reported in places like Kodi and Kotepura. Amidst rumour that three boats had been damaged at Kodi, a group from Mogaveerapatna marched towards Kodi. A youth was reportedly assaulted in Kodi after which people from Kotepura too gathered. The police had to resort to lathi charge and tear gas to disperse the mob, sources said. A youth organization's office at Kodi was also vandalised.
Blame game
Even as police tried to normalise the situation, the political parties began their blame game. The Congress alleged that BJP was trying to obtain political mileage out of the Ullal clashes and claimed that BJP had a hand in the violence that erupted.
Addressing a press meet at the Congress office on Thursday, Ullal Congress block president Ishwar Ullal said that strict action should be taken against those creating trouble in Ullal and demanded that compensation be provided to people who were injured or whose houses or boats were damaged in the clashes.
Claiming that the clashes were 'politically motivated', he alleged that the BJP was trying to destroy the social fabric by provoking such incidents. "The BJP is not bothered about finding a solution to the problem. Local BJP leaders had gathered in front of the police station to protest, which is condemnable," he said.
Meanwhile, the BJP blamed the Congress of playing vote bank politics in Ullal. Asserting that BJP condemns the act of miscreants in Ullal, the party's Mangalore block president Chandrashekar Uchil said, "Ever since the Congress came to power eight months ago, anti-social elements have become active in Ullal and are spreading Taliban culture here. The Deralakatte forced sex incident, rape attempt in Ullal, assualt of a youth at K C Road and now the clashes at Ullal...all these incidents have taken place but Ullal MLA who is a minister has shown no interest in taking action against the accused."
He added that the stone pelting and incidents of assault in Ullal over the last two days showed the failure of Congress government which he said was indulging in vote bank politics. He also alleged that it was part of an effort by the Congress to stall BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's visit to the city on February 18. He urged the police to take stringent action against the trouble makers without bowing to political pressure.