Home Minister Parameshwara downplays incident

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said the clashes between two groups during Ganesha idol immersion procession in Nagamangala town in Mandya district cannot be termed as “communal violence” as he maintained that the incident happened on the “spur of the moment”.

He said 52 people have been arrested from “both sides”, and after reviewing CCTV footage about their involvement in the incidents like stone-pelting and torching of vehicles and properties, cases will be registered against them.

“Yesterday’s incident shouldn’t have happened. What began as a small incident...it has ended. No major injuries or fights have happened. Police have taken the situation under control. When the procession was on, stones were pelted, it led to some clashes. After that when everything appeared to have been solved and people were dispersing, some torched bikes and shops, and subsequently (police) brought the situation under control,” Parameshwara said.

When told that a petrol bomb was allegedly hurled and asked whether the incident was pre-planned, he said: “No, no, it (the incident) has happened immediately on the spur of the moment. Police have not allowed it to escalate further and have brought things under control.”