Kishan Singh Bhorde 

The Kalaburgi police have detained 167 people who were allegedly involved in communal violence that broke out during Shivaratri at the Ladle Mashak Dargah in Aland town. 

Violence broke out when right-wing activists, including members of the BJP and Sri Rama Sena, gathered at the Dargha despite the prohibitory orders being in force in that town to offer purification puja to Raghava Chaitnya Shivalinga in Ladle Mashak Dargah.

The authorities of the Darga had planned a Sandal and Shab-e-Barat on the same day. When right-wing activities tried to enter the religious site, members of both communities indulged in violence.

In the violence, the windshields of the cars belonging to Union Minister Bhagawanth Khuba, a few BJP leaders' Deputy Commissioner Yashwanth Gurukar, and Superintendent of Police Isha Pant’s were damaged in the stone-pelting incidents.

The police resorted to lathi charges to bring the mob under control. The police have filed five separate FIRs in connection with the violence, and they have arrested 167 people so far, including ten women.

The police have increased Bandobast in Aland town and the police are in search of the accused who may be involved in the incident. The police have seized stones, sticks, and logs which were allegedly stored by the residents residing near the dargah. The police investigation is going on and they are finding out who was behind this violence.

A few people have alleged police high-handedness, and they blamed that an 83-year-old lady died due to police high-handedness, but the police have denied the allegations. The elderly person died due to an age-related illness and the lady died for some other reason, but the miscreants were spreading lies that these two died due to police brutal action, which is not true, said the police.

Meanwhile, a few residents belonging to other communities alleged that the police were unnecessarily arresting people entering their houses.