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VHP, Bajrang Dal denied permission to hold rally in Karnataka
Right wing groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have been denied permission from holding a rally against the violence amid protests in several parts of the country after BJP leaders made controversial remarks on the Prophet recently.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal have been barred from holding a rally in Karnataka's Mangaluru amid violence in several parts of the country over recent controversial remarks made about the Prophet by two BJP leaders. The two groups had planned to hold a rally on Thursday in Dakshina Kannada's Mangaluru. VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders announced their decision to hold a rally near PVS Circle in the city via social media.
However, their plans were quashed as Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar said no permission had been given to hold such a rally. News agency PTI quoted police sources as saying that the authorities had not received any letter seeking permission to hold a protest rally and that they could not allow such a protest in the interest of maintaining law and order.
Sharan Pumpwell, a VHP leader, told PTI they had sought permission. Since the police have refused to allow the protest to go on, he said the organisation would now submit a petition to the President of India through district deputy commissioner condemning the nationwide violence.
According to the Deccan Chronicle, N Shashi Kumar also held talks with Muslim religious leaders after media reports emerged that various outfits were planning to hold protests in the city over remarks against the Prophet.
Coastal districts of Karnataka, like Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and in particular, Mangaluru, are known to be more sensitive in the face of religious and communal conflicts over the years. These districts witnessed over 120 communal incidents in 2021, the highest in the last four years, data compiled by Suresh Bhat, a member of Karnataka Communal Harmony Forum and People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Mangaluru, indicated.
(With Inputs from PTI)
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