Tension In Karnataka Village Over A Statue Of Freedom Fighter

Tension in Karnataka village over a statue of freedom fighter, police calms down. Tension arose in a village in Belagavi district of Karnataka over the installation of a statue of a freedom fighter. The police reached the spot to calm the case. Tension erupted on Friday in a village in Belagavi district near Maharashtra border, with a section of people objecting to the statue of Sangoli Rayanna, an 18th-century warrior and freedom fighter.

The police resorted to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control. According to official sources, some of Rayanna’s fans installed her idol at a road junction in Piranwadi during the midnight hours of Thursday and Friday.

As news spread, a section of others raised objections, leading to tension in the area. The largely Marathi-speaking people are opposed to the place where they want to install the statue of the Maratha ruler Shivaji, after which the congregation is named. They also fear that its name may also be changed in the future.

Realizing that the situation was becoming somewhat frightening, the police used the baton to disperse the gathering crowd. According to officials, he tried to calm the protesters by saying that the statue was installed without the requisite permission, that the issue could be dealt with legally.

He said that an FIR has been registered in this regard and action will be taken. Additional forces were called to avoid the situation going out of control. Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa said in Bengaluru that he would talk to the Deputy Commissioner of Belagavi to resolve the issue amicably.

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the police had taken stringent steps to control the situation, and he has spoken to the Police Commissioner and IG of Belagavi, visiting the ADGP Law and Order area. He said, “All necessary police arrangements are being made. He said that the administration was making all efforts to resolve things peacefully, taking everyone into confidence.”