Tension prevailed near Ladle Mashak Dargah in the town on Tuesday over performing puja to Raghavachaitanya Shivalinga located on the dargah premises.
The row ended peacefully with SP Isha Pant and Deputy Commissioner Yeshwanth V Guruka’s mediation between the leaders of the two communities. The tension was diffused by allowing 11 people to purify Shivalinga and offer puja on the occasion of Mahashivaratri. Earlier, stones were pelted on the vehicles of Union Minister Bhagwanth Khuba, former MLA B R Patil, the SP and DC.
Sri Ram Sene had given a call for the purification of Shivalinga of Raghavachaitanya and offer abhisheka on Mahashivaratri (March 1) as a miscreant desecrated it last year. But the sandal procession was also fixed at the dargah on the same day. The dargah committee office-bearers locked the dargah’s gate saying that they will not allow them inside. This enraged the BJP workers and the Hindu activists.
Sri Ram Sene, BJP leaders and workers were determined to purify the Shivalinga by going in a procession from Aland’s bus stand in the morning. Despite prohibitory orders being in force, a procession, led by Bhagwanth Khuba and other leaders, began. However, the police prevented them midway.
SP Isha convinced the leaders that 10 persons will be allowed to purify Shivallinga and perform abhisheka inside the dargah. The BJP leaders agreed. But, the Dargah committee office-bearers did not agree.
Due to this, tension gripped the town and the police officials had to deploy additional forces to maintain law and order. The police pressed drones into service to keep a strict vigil on the activities as there were rumours that stones and wooden logs have been stocked on the terraces of the houses. Finally, the row ended as 11 people were allowed to purify the Shivalinga and offer puja.