Malali mosque row: Will not allow disturbance, say police

Dakshina Kannada: The Karnataka Police department has said that they will not allow any disturbance in the law and order situation over the Malali Masjid row in the Dakshina Kannada region.

Additional DGP (Law and Order) Alok Kumar stated on Thursday that no room for disturbance would be given in the region in the backdrop of the row that surfaced following the finding of temple structure during the renovation of the mosque.

"The matter of Malali mosque is in the court. The court has ordered status quo till June 3. Necessary steps have been taken to ensure peace in the region," he said.

"Mangaluru is a sensitive place. The elections are going to take place next year. Necessary action would be taken to ensure peace by holding meetings with officials," he said.

"There is a spurt in the number of crimes related to social media in the region. Mangaluru police have initiated action in this regard," he said.

The row took a political turn after former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy ridiculed the Hindu activists' attempt to ascertain the history of Malali Masjid through 'TamboolaPrashne', a traditional religious method to ascertain the history of the temple.

"All decisions will be taken at Keshva Krupa (RSS headquarters in Bengaluru). These persons will follow instructions from there. There is no future for the country and there is possibility of disturbance of peace and harmony in the state," Kumaraswamy stated.

BJP MLA Bharat Shetty slammed Kumaraswamy and said, "Kumaraswamy, who conducts 'yagnas' and 'homas', will question the practice of 'TamboolaPrashne'...We know what questions he asks the Kerala priests," he said.

Meanwhile, during 'TamboolaPrashne', the priest has confirmed the existence of the temple before the mosque and also talked about resolving the matter amicably. After ascertaining facts through religious methods, the Hindu activists have decided to take up a legal course of action for reclaiming the mosque.

The Hindu activists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal have decided to ascertain the truth about the mosque in the form of traditional way by posing "TambulaPrashne" before the priests on Wednesday.

Temple structure was found on April 21 during the renovation of Malali mosque, stirring up a controversy. Following the controversy, the court had ordered the mosque management to stop the work.