Three-day Datta Jayanti ends on a violent note; cops resort to baton charge

Chikkamagaluru, Dec 25: The Datta Jayanti celebration atop the Bababudangiri, near here this time was also not incident free. The valedictory function of the three-day Jayanti was marred by stone pelting and baton charge.

The Sangh Parivar activists picked up a clash with the police for disallowing them to hoist Bhagawadhwaja, a saffron flag, on the premises of the disputed Sufi Shrine of Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy Dargah. The police had to resort to a lathi-charge to restore peace and order.

Hundreds of people from across Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts visited the Sufi shrine to participate in the valedictory function. They visited the shrine and also had the darshan of ‘Datta Paduka’. They participated in the religious programmes organised by pro-Hindutva groups near the shrine. This was the first mega event to be held here after the Supreme Court disposed off the petitions seeking possession of the place and directed the State government to resolve the issue.

The saffron outfits organised the three-day event by mobilising a large number of participants in order to put pressure on the State government. Leaders of Vishwa Hindu Parishat and the BJP, who participated in the Datta Mala Abhiyan, repeatedly demanded that the place be declared as belonging to the Hindus and a priest appointed there. The former Minister C.T. Ravi, who was among the staunch supporters of this cause, also participated in the three-day event actively.

Adequate number of police personnel had been deployed to cover the entire place and to avoid any untoward incident from occurring. The policemen, however, resorted to lathi-charge when a group of Sangh Parivar activists tried to barge into the restricted area and hoist a Bhagawadhwaj, a saffron flag there. As the police stopped the activists, more number of people gathered there to protest. They demanded that they be allowed into the shrine premises to hoist a flag. The police resorted to lathi-charge to bring the situation under control. Meanwhile, the activists threw stones at the police and the media, causing minor injury to a couple of presspersons.

The organisers, who conducted religions functions near the shrine, objected to the entry of presspersons, who wanted to cover the event. This led to a heated argument between presspersons and the organisers. Later, a few miscreants allegedly barged into a shop near the shrine and damaged the items inside.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Chikkamagaluru as a procession was taken out by Muslims to mark Eid-Milad. The district administration had ordered business establishments on prime roads to close down. Policemen had been deployed to prevent the participants of Eid-Milad procession from coming in contact with the Datta devotees.