CM Siddaramaiah appeals for peace after Bagalkote clashes, BJP blames Cong
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday appealed for peace and harmony in the wake of communal clashes in Bagalkote triggered by alleged stone pelting during a Shivaji Jayanti procession.
Tension prevailed in the district headquarter town of Bagalkote town on Friday following the face-off between two communities, prompting the district administration to clamp prohibitory orders.
Shops remained shut across Bagalkote amid the unrest.
In a post on X, Siddaramaiah said, "The stone-pelting incident in Bagalkot is a threat to the peace and harmony of the society. I and our government strongly condemn this."
ALSO READ: Bagalkote: Man arrested for stone-pelting during Shivaji Jayanti procession
The CM said he had spoken to senior police officers and ordered them to conduct an impartial investigation.
Siddaramaiah has also instructed police to initiate legal action against the miscreants.
Some accused have already been arrested and are being interrogated in connection with the case, and those found guilty will be punished, he added.
Siddaramaiah said, “Providing a fear-free and peaceful life to the people of the country is our first priority. We will not tolerate any person or force that disturbs the peace and tranquility of the people.”
Urging citizens to stay calm and not to fall prey to any provocations, Siddaramaiah assured that the police department will discharge its duty impartially.
The opposition BJP blamed the ruling Congress for the incident, alleging that its "appeasement politics" has resulted in the communal clashes.
“The stone-pelting and shoe-pelting incident on the procession of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Bagalkot is a highly condemnable and despicable act. In this mismanagement, the law and order situation has completely collapsed in the Tughlaq Congress government, and the miscreants who disturb the peace have found refuge,” BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said in a post on ‘X’.
“If stone-pelting is taking place in the presence of the police, where is the safety of the common people in the state?” he asked.
Vijayendra alleged that such continuous attacks targeting Hindu festivals and processions look like a systematic conspiracy in the Congress rule in the state.
“Such hooliganism cannot take place without the courage of the state government to stand by them. At least now, the government of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should leave its politics of appeasement and immediately arrest those who have harmed the honour of Shivaji Maharaj, who is the identity of the nation,” the MLA said.
He also cautioned the Chief Minister not to “test the patience of the Hindu society”.
“There is no question of remaining silent when it comes to the identity of our beloved men and our country!” Vijayendra said.
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Mule bank accounts frozen in crackdown on cyber fraudsters in Karnataka, 68 held
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka State Cyber Command has arrested 68 people as part of a statewide drive against mule bank accounts and “mule herders” involved in cyber fraud, officials said on Friday.
The special operations, which have been continuing since last week across Karnataka, targeted networks engaged in aggregating and selling mule bank accounts used for cyber crimes.
The arrests were made between December 2025 and February 2026, police said in an updated report.
“The Karnataka Cyber Command has conducted statewide special operations against Mule accounts and mule herders across Karnataka. The special drive has continued since last week and this is an updated report,” the department said in a statement.
ALSO READ: CM Siddaramaiah appeals for peace after Bagalkote clashes, BJP blames Cong
Police said the investigation identified a network of “mule herders” — individuals who aggregate and misuse mule bank accounts — who were retailing and selling such accounts to cyber criminals.
A total of 68 key accused and suspects have been arrested during the period.
According to the statement, mule herders had collected personal information and documents from unsuspecting laypersons and opened multiple bank accounts in the names of their relatives.
“These accounts were operated in a business-like manner,” it added.
As part of the crackdown, police registered 60 cases and identified 869 mule accounts across the state. As many as 8,788 complaints were registered on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) against the identified mule accounts.
The total money involved in all NCRP-linked crimes stood at Rs 85.05 crore, of which Rs 13.43 crore has been put on hold, the Cyber Command said.
During the drive, police obtained 32 search warrants and conducted 35 searches. In the searches, 35 ATM cards, 37 passbooks, 80 mobile phones, 28 cheque books and 22 SIM cards were seized, along with other incriminating materials, officials said. Pronab Mohanty, the Director General of Police (Karnataka State Cyber Command) supervised the special drive, police added.
