Mangalore: Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district has begun to witness the tension following the group clashes in the backdrop of the Paresh Mesta murder case. MLA Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri has been arrested, said sources.
The protest rally was being held at Sirsi Marigudi circle when stones were pelted. As many as 70 persons were detained by the police. Meanwhile, a garment shop named Udupi Collection was set ablaze here by miscreants. A bike was also gutted in the chaos. The police struggled to get the situation under control and tear gas was also used to disperse the mob.
The district has been reeling under the tension over the last few days, after a local youth, Paresh Mesta was found charred to death after a clash between a Hindu and Muslim group. The BJP and the Hindutva organisations called for a bundh demanding the arrest of the culprits, suspecting that Mesta was murdered by particular community members.
State govt responsible
Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegade is holding the state government responsible for the tension prevailing in the Uttara Kannada district.
Speaking to reporters at his residence in Sirsi, Hegade said that the minority appeasement policy of the state is burning the district down.
“The people are finding it difficult to come to terms with Mesta’s murder case and the stand of the government. Social organisations are not receiving security. There is fear among people,” he said.
