Two people died after police fired shots to disperse crowds gathered to protest the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, according to police officials in the coastal and communally sensitive district of Mangaluru, about 350 kms from Bengaluru.
Though there were protests across the state, including Bengaluru, agitation against CAA took a violent turn in Mangaluru where police had fire shots to disperse the crowds who officials called “mischievous elements”.
P.S.Harsha, Mangaluru police commissioner on Thursday confirmed that two people had died on Thursday. Videos of police firing their weapons was played on loop by several local Kannada TV news channels on Thursday.
Harsha, earlier on Thursday, said that a large crowd of over 6000-7000 had refused to adhere to repeated requests to follow rules under section 144, imposed in the city (and other districts of Karnataka).
He said that several police personnel, including senior officials, have been severely injured in the clashes.
He said that there was ample notice given to the public about prohibitory orders that would be in effect from Thursday morning to mid-night on Saturday.
The police have imposed restrictions for people movement as the situation has been tense in the coastal district.
Harsha said that the crowds tried to attack police personnel who were forced to retaliate.
“It is deplorable that violence was triggered in Mangaluru by those who went by the words of mischief-mongers. I appeal to the people, particularly those in Mangaluru, to maintain harmony and to refrain from destroying public property,” B.S.Yediyurappa posted from the official Twitter handle of the Karnataka chief minister on Thursday.
Addressing the media later, he said that senior officials were on their way to Mangaluru to avoid a repeat of Thursday’s incident.
Yediyurappa held meetings with prominent Muslim clerics and other representatives of the community to contain the spread of violence after the incident in Mangaluru which he termed “unfortunate”.
“This is a deep conspiracy. People from neighbouring Kerala came started to gather in numbers in the last three to four days,” Basavaraj Bommai, Karnataka’s home minister said earlier in the day.
"Tragic news in Mangaluru.
Two people have died in police firing and two are supposedly critically injured.
The BJP is directly responsible for breakdown of law & order.
The statements and actions of the BJP govt & its leaders is creating an unnecessary provocative environment," Dinesh Gundu Rao, the president of Congress party in Karnataka posted on Twitter.
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