Karnataka: Tension in Belagavi over religious procession slogan; stones pelted, police intervene

According to the police officers, trouble allegedly began after a group of youths in the procession raised the slogan “I love Muhammad,” drawing protests from locals

Belagavi: Tension broke out between two communities over slogans during a religious procession of the Mehboob Subhani Dargah in Khadak Galli of Karnataka’s Belagavi district on Friday night, which escalated into stone-pelting, police said.

We intervened immediately and dispersed the groups before the matter could turn serious. The situation is now under control, police said.

According to the police officers, trouble allegedly began after a group of youths in the procession raised the slogan “I love Muhammad,” drawing protests from locals who questioned why the procession had deviated into their neighbourhood, which it had not entered in previous years,

“We intervened immediately and dispersed the groups before the matter could turn serious. The situation is now under control,” a senior police officer present at the location said.

Deputy commissioner of police Narayan Baramani said the organisers had not submitted a clear route plan. “Only a few stones were pelted and nobody was hurt. The organisers have never taken the procession through this street earlier, and such an incident has occurred for the first time,” he said.