The Karnataka BJP has established a fact-finding committee to investigate the recent stone-pelting incident during a Ganesh idol immersion procession in Nagamangala, Mandya district. The committee will be chaired by party MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan, with members including Byrati Basavaraj, K.C. Narayana Gowda, Lakshmi Ashwin Gowda, and former Bengaluru Police Commissioner Bhaskar Rao.
The decision to form the committee comes amid growing political tensions following the clashes in Nagamangala. BJP MP Tejasvi Surya criticised the state's response, questioning the seriousness with which the incident was being handled. "I want to ask the state Home Minister G. Parameshwara, if stones were pelted at your house during a Ganesh procession, would you call it accidental?" Surya asked, reflecting the party's stance on the issue.
In response to the incident, members of the Bengaluru Mahanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti held a protest outside the Town Hall, condemning the stone-pelting and demanding the release of those who were arrested.
Ganesh Chaturthi Clash: 3 Others Arrested
Three more individuals have been arrested in connection with the clashes, bringing the total number of arrests to 55. The clashes, which erupted between two groups during a Lord Ganesh idol procession on Wednesday, had resulted in mobs targeting shops and vehicles, creating a tense situation in Nagamangala.
The situation in Nagamangala town has since returned to normal, though additional police forces remain deployed as a precautionary measure. Prohibitory orders, preventing gatherings of more than four people, have been imposed until September 14 to maintain peace.
A forensic team from the Forensic Science Laboratory visited the site on Thursday to collect evidence related to the incident. "The situation is peaceful here, and besides the 52 people already arrested, we have secured three more individuals in connection with the incident," Mandya Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baldandi stated.