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More than 60 vehicles, including 45 BMTC buses, were damaged when a group of Muslims, who were protesting against the US attack on Iraq, turned violent in the City Market area this afternoon.
Police had to resort to lathicharge and lob teargas shells while controlling the mob, which was armed with swords, choppers and stones. Four policemen, four BMTC bus drivers and several passers-by were injured when the protesters indulged in stone-throwing.
Trouble began around 1:55 pm when 2,000 Muslims, who had gathered in front of the mosque in City Market today after offering the Friday noon prayers, started shouting slogans against the United States for having attacked Iraq. They burnt an effigy of US President George Bush and later decided to take out a procession in the area to express their solidarity with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. However, the police objected stating that they had not taken prior permission to take out a procession. Angered by this, the mob attacked BMTC buses and other private vehicles near the bus stand.
While police reinforcements began to arrive in the area, the protesters spread out and started attacking private vehicles and shops on S J P Road and N R Road. Commercial establishments downed shutters while shell-shocked BMTC passengers ran helter-skelter seeing the armed protesters. City Market police inspector Siddaramaiah, Sub-inspector Venkatanarasaiah, head constable Lingappa and City Armed Reserve constable Sanjeev Kumar suffered injuries while repulsing the attack by the protesters.
BMTC staff who were injured in the attack have been identified as Venugopala, Venkatesh, Chouhan Murthy and Ashwathnarayana. Speaking to Deccan Herald, BMTC chief traffic controller Dastagir Sharief said: "about 45 buses were damaged in the attack and as a result the BMTC suffered a loss of about Rs 8 lakh."
On the immediate provocation for the attack, a senior police officer said: "going by the turn of events it is evident that the protesters had made up their minds to indulge in violence. Some leaders could have made provocative speeches that could have instigated them to take to violence." Following the attack, police tightened security in market and adjoining areas.
City Police Commissioner M D Singh,
Joint Commissioner Jeevan Goankar and Deputy Commissioner of Police Chebbi
visited the spot. The situation was brought under control by dusk.
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