Bellagarve: Belagavi held a massive protest earlier this week after the burning of religious books by Santi Bastwad. The scre allegedly stole and set fires from under-built places of worship on Sunday night prompting community members and like-minded organizations to demand immediate action.
The next morning, I found three religious books left on the first floor. The burnt remains of these books were found in a nearby field, just a few meters away from the building.
Meanwhile, Bellagarve rural police inspector Manjunath Hiremath was suspended for his dereliction of duty. The incident happened within his jurisdiction.
As the defendant was not arrested even a few days after the incident, community members and elected representatives held a rally near Chennamma Circle. Several stores, including those owned by community members and other members, were closed during the protests.
During the protests, protesters strongly condemned the blasphemy. They define it as an outrageous act, requiring Bellagarve police to immediately track down and arrest the culprit and initiate strict legal proceedings.
Bellagarve police assured protesters that strict action will be taken as early as possible and that the culprit will be arrested as early as possible. As a preventive measure, the region imposed a ban and nearly 3,000 police officers were deployed across the city. Despite the tension, the protest remained peaceful, and no reports were reported.
