Seven arrested for desecrating Shivaji statue in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Seven persons have been arrested in connection with desecration of statue of Chattrapati Shivaji in Bengaluru, police said on Sunday. The incident has created tension in the bordering town of Belagavi, as unknown people vandalised the statue of local freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna in retaliation.

The arrested were identified as Chetan Gowda, President of Karnataka Ranadheera Pade, Gurudeva Narayankumar, Varun, Naveen Gowda, Vinod, Chetan Kumar and Yogesh Gowda. According to police, the accused desecrated the statue of Shivaji to retaliate for the burning of Kannada flag in Maharashtra's Kolhapur.

DCP, Central, Anucheth said that the accused had planned to desecrate the statue of Shivaji four days ago and executed their plan in Bengaluru last Thursday. They visited the spot on Monday and Tuesday for a recce, and made an futile attempt to desecrate the statue last Wednesday, but beat police foiled their plan. Later, a group of 13 members including the accused executed their plan on Thursday.

The accused also shot the video of their action to make it viral on social media. The Sadashivanagar police have launched a hunt for others who are absconding, the DCP added.

Meanwhile, as Kannada organisations have given a call to take out a protest march to Belagavi to condemn the incident of vandalisation of Sangolli Rayanna statue, Belagavi Police Commissioner K. Tyagarajan has issued prohibitory orders till December 22.

Kannada activists have reinstalled the statue of Sangolli Rayanna at the same place where it was vandalised in Belagavi. (IANS)

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