Thousands of Hindu activists and Hanuman devotees who tried to enter the Jamia Masjid in Karnataka’s Srirangapatana, chanting provocative slogans were stopped by cops on Sunday.
Thousands of saffron-wearing men and women who took out a Sankeerthana Yatra from Hanuman temple, raised provocative slogans “Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Hanuman Mandir in Srirangapatana.”
Following the huge gathering of Hindus near mosque, police avoided an escalation of the situation by deploying additional forces.
The Hindu rally tried to breach the police barricades and enter Jamia Masjid. Protesting the police restrictions, the mob gathered in front of mosque raising anti-Muslim slogans.
The Yatra was organised by right wing Hindu group Hindu Jagran Vedike. Vedike and its members were complicit in the anti-Muslim violence across state since its formation.
The members of rally also removed a green flag from a house and replaced it with a saffron flag, New Indian Express reported.
A banner of Hindutva icon VD Savarkar appeared in front of the mosque.
Karnataka minister KC Narayana Gowda, district BJP president Umesh and other Hindu leaders participated in the rally.
More than 2000 police personnel were deployed in the town which was painted saffron.
