Calm prevails in Mangaluru; curfew relaxed for two hours
Mangaluru: Mangaluru city which is under a curfew remained calm under heavy police security on Saturday while prohibitory orders were lifted for two hours from 6 a.m to enable people to purchase essential items.
City police Commissioner P S Harsha said the curfew will continue till Sunday night in the commissionerate limits as a precautionary measure after the violent clashes between protesters agitating against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the police on Thursday.
Owners of some shops who had only a little stock left on Saturday, sold their items within the two hours. Many people complained that they were not aware of the relaxation of the curfew as it was announced only on local television channels.
Mobile internet services which were suspended are expected to be restored by Saturday night. Vehicles barring city buses, autorickshaws were seen plying.
District in-charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, who held meetings with the district Deputy Commissioner and senior police officers on Friday, said the situation here is stable and briefed the Chief Minister on the developments.
Meanwhile, a case has been booked by the Mangaluru South police against former state minister and Mangaluru MLA U T Khader for allegedly delivering a provocative speech and stirring communal disharmony and inciting violence.
Based on a complaint filed by pro-BJP Yuva Morcha secretary Sandesh Kumar Shetty on Friday, the case was filed under Sections 124 A (sedition), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) and 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot).
In his complaint, Shetty alleged that the legislator while addressing a protest at Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner's office on December 17, said "Karnataka will burn if the CAA will be implemented in the state."
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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