Religious intolerance in India continues unabated, and this is borne out in yet another incident that happened in Nellyadi village in Karnataka.
The issue was that a local Bajrang Dal leader tried to get a barber shop closed on Tuesday, saying that Hindus are not supposed to cut hair on that day. The barber refused to obey the order, leading to violence and imposition of curfew.
Bajrang Dal leader Ravi Ballaya said that barber Salman refused to “respect local sentiments” and shut his barber shop on Tuesday as is customary. He said that it was well-known that Hindus don’t cut their hair on Tuesdays.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Thukrappa Shetty claimed that Salman, along with some of his friends, abused and attacked Uday Kumar, who is the leader of the local barber’s association when he requested Salman to shut his shop.
Shetty also claimed that the riot was a spontaneous reaction from the local Hindus.
Dr SD Sharanappa, the Superintendent of Police, explained the entire story.
He said, “Mobs led by Ballaya first attacked Salman’s shop and the Jama Masjid complex in Nellyadi village and another mob led by the Popular Front of India retaliated simultaneously and a riot broke out.”
The violence was controlled within a few hours after it erupted at around 4 pm, but left many people injured and property worth many lakh of rupees destroyed. The police have imposed curfew in the area.