The Belagavi police on Monday launched a search for unknown persons after a religious book was found partially burnt near a mosque in Santibasthawad village, around 10 kilometres from the city.
Belagavi police commissioner Iada Martin Marbanian said that the elders from the mosque in Santibasthawad on Monday found the burnt pages of Quran in an agricultural field adjacent to their place of worship. “After the incident, several people from various mosques in Belagavi taluk held protests in their respective places,” he said.
He further said that the protestors, mainly from Santibasthawad, Peeranwadi, Machche and nearby areas, attempted to march into Belagavi city to submit a memorandum to the district administration. However, they were stopped en route and permitted to demonstrate along the Belagavi-Goa state highway, near the Visvesvarayya Technological University (VTU), where traffic was disrupted for over two hours, he said.
Amid the tensions in the area, Martin appealed to religious leaders and elders to cooperate in identifying those responsible and to avoid actions that could disturb public order.
Besides, some people of the community across Belagavi city congregated at Rani Channamma Circle demanding swift action against the perpetrators. Leaders of the community, who did not wish to be named, told reporters that the book was missing ahead of morning prayers and was later discovered burnt nearby.
“The act was likely by some anti-social elements for political gain. We will organise a statewide protest if the accused are not booked within two days,” they said while urging public to maintain peace.
Responding to the protests, Belagavi North Congress MLA Asif (Raju) Sait visited the demonstrators and urged restraint. “Belagavi witnessed no communal clashes after the Congress government came to power. By cooperating with the police, help the government defeat the plans of anti-social elements,” he said.
Belagavi district in charge minister Satish Jarkiholi also called for peace and assured that action would be taken.
The Belagavi police commissioner said that investigation to identify those behind the incident has been launched and security has been stepped up in sensitive areas to prevent any further unrest.
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