<p>Belagavi: Muslims staged a massive protest at Rani Channamma Circle here on Monday evening, demanding the arrest of the accused who burnt the Quran and Hadiths, the Islamic scriptures, kept in a mosque at Santibastwad village in Belagavi taluk. There were Quran and two Hadiths on the ground floor of a mosque under construction in Santibastwad. When they were not found during morning prayers, the locals searched for them. They were found burnt in a field next to the mosque. This created a tense atmosphere in the village for some time.</p><p>The protest was withdrawn after two hours, after the police assured to arrest the accused involved in the act within three days. </p><p>Muslims of Santibastwad and the City congregated at Channamma Circle. The efforts of the police to pacify them did not yield results. They raised religious slogans and demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. A rally was taken out to the deputy commissioner’s office.</p><p>MLA Asif Sait asked the police to arrest the accused within three days, failing which, they would stage a protest on the premises of the police commissioner’s office.</p><p>Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang said, “We shall arrest the accused within three days. As the protest is being held, all the police officials of the City have been deployed for bandobast. If the protest is withdrawn, we can proceed with the investigations to nab the accused”.</p><p>He visited the village and held talks with the Muslim leaders. He also inspected the spot where the Quran and Hadiths had been burnt.</p><p>Santibastwad resident Yusuf Mujawar said, the mosque has a CCTV, but it had been sent for repair on Sunday. The miscreants must have been aware that the CCTV was under repair. The police and the government should identify the miscreants and punish them, he said.</p><p>He said, neither the Public Works Department and District In-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi nor the Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar visited the spot. Congress has been using Muslims as a mere vote bank, he added.</p><p>Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rohan Jagadeesh and other senior police officials were present. Belagavi Rural police are investigating.</p>
<p>Belagavi: Muslims staged a massive protest at Rani Channamma Circle here on Monday evening, demanding the arrest of the accused who burnt the Quran and Hadiths, the Islamic scriptures, kept in a mosque at Santibastwad village in Belagavi taluk. There were Quran and two Hadiths on the ground floor of a mosque under construction in Santibastwad. When they were not found during morning prayers, the locals searched for them. They were found burnt in a field next to the mosque. This created a tense atmosphere in the village for some time.</p><p>The protest was withdrawn after two hours, after the police assured to arrest the accused involved in the act within three days. </p><p>Muslims of Santibastwad and the City congregated at Channamma Circle. The efforts of the police to pacify them did not yield results. They raised religious slogans and demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. A rally was taken out to the deputy commissioner’s office.</p><p>MLA Asif Sait asked the police to arrest the accused within three days, failing which, they would stage a protest on the premises of the police commissioner’s office.</p><p>Police Commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang said, “We shall arrest the accused within three days. As the protest is being held, all the police officials of the City have been deployed for bandobast. If the protest is withdrawn, we can proceed with the investigations to nab the accused”.</p><p>He visited the village and held talks with the Muslim leaders. He also inspected the spot where the Quran and Hadiths had been burnt.</p><p>Santibastwad resident Yusuf Mujawar said, the mosque has a CCTV, but it had been sent for repair on Sunday. The miscreants must have been aware that the CCTV was under repair. The police and the government should identify the miscreants and punish them, he said.</p><p>He said, neither the Public Works Department and District In-charge Minister Satish Jarkiholi nor the Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar visited the spot. Congress has been using Muslims as a mere vote bank, he added.</p><p>Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rohan Jagadeesh and other senior police officials were present. Belagavi Rural police are investigating.</p>
