Bagalkot, 7 March

Tension prevailed in Bagalkot after the local Muslim community took strong objection to the writing of a ‘Jai Sri Ram’ graffiti on the compound wall of a nearby Mosque in the city.

The latest incident of communal unrest has come close on the heels of the incident of stone pelting on the Shivaji Jayanti procession in the Killa Oni area of Bagalkot city recently.

Giving details about the incident, the police said it all started after a man was allegedly found to be making his 12-year-old son ‘Jai Shri Ram’ on the compound wall of a mosque in Sector 44, triggering anger among the Muslim community.

CCTV footage captured the accused writing the slogan on the mosque wall and later leaving the spot in an autorickshaw. The incident created tension in the area.

Acting on a complaint filed by a man identified as Ladkhan, police at the Navanagar Police Station registered an FIR and took the accused, identified as Yamanuri, along with his son, into custody for questioning.

The police personnel were rushed to the spot to prevent the cool down the frayed tempers and prevent the situation from getting out of control.

The graffiti on the mosque wall was later erased by pouring water over it in an effort to restore normalcy in the area.

The police have stepped up security measures in the area and have been put on high alert to prevent any untoward incident.