Zeenews Bureau
Mangalore, Sept 16: As tensions continue to prevail in Mangalore, Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday said that strict action will be taken against those responsible for attack on churches, adding that everyone is free to profess his or her religion.
Meanwhile, the police cane charged the protesters belonging to fringe Hindu group Shri Ram Sena as the bandh organised by them entered second day on Tuesday.
Interestingly, the Bajrang Dal has distanced itself from the bandh and has stated that it has no association with the Shri Ram Sena.
Nearly 40 people have been injured in clashes since Sunday.
Yesterday, police burst teargas shells and cane-charged to disperse the members of the Christian community, after their protest against attacks on prayer halls in the state allegedly turned violent.
The protesters pelted stones at the police near Kulasekhara church in the heart of the city, said the police, adding that they burst teargas shells and used lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
Similar protests were also reported from Shaktinagar, Vamanjur, Tokkotu and Bantwal, police said.
Situation was tense in the city as several shops and business establishments remained closed fearing violence.
Till now 53 persons have been arrested in connection with attacks on churches.
It may be noted that on Sunday, the BJP ruled state witnessed attacks on 14 churches by miscreants, suspected to be Bajrang Dal activists, to protest against alleged forcible conversion of Hindus into Christianity.
Twenty five people including 12 policemen and three journalists were injured in violent protests on Sunday in incidents of stone-throwing.
"Miscreants numbering about five to 20 riding a motorcycle barged into prayer halls between 9 am to 10.30 am and went on a rampage," said AM Prasad, a senior police official.
Prasad said nine churches belonging to Pentecostal and Catholic faiths were the target of attacks in Dakshina Kannada district and three each in Udupi and Chikmagalur district.
The places where the attacks occurred include Kodiabail, Milagis church, Kankanady, Mastikatte, Shaktinagar, Mehana, Mudantyar, Uppinangady (Dakshina Kannada district), Byndoor, Maddur Halli, Udupi town (Udupi district), Jayapura, Singatage and Magodu (Chikmagalur district).
The district administration in Dakshina Kannada has clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 for three days as a precautionary measure.
The attacks, coming even as fresh sectarian violence were reported in Orissa, has shaken the people and drawn a sharp reaction from the opposition Congress, which blamed the BJP government for the incidents and demanded the resignation by the state Home Minister Dr V S Acharya.
Acharya claimed that the situation was under control and that the government has directed the police to initiate stringent action against the culprits.
Opposition Congress leader in the state assembly M Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the incidents had brought to the fore, the `hidden agenda` of BJP and that the Gujarat model of rule has come into place in Karnataka.
According to Bajrang Dal sources, it was a coordinated attack against conversion and not a single Catholic church was attacked. Only prayer halls belonging to the New Life Sect in southern Karnataka were attacked.
