'Ganpati will be put behind bars': Modi attacks Congress over Karnataka incident | Latest News from India

“Appeasement is the biggest aim of the Congress. Today, the situation has gone so far that even Ganpati is behind bars in the Congress-ruled state of Karnataka,” Modi said.

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What exactly happened to the Ganpati statue in Karnataka?

The Ganesh statue controversy erupted after a group of devotees protested against the alleged attack by stone-pelters on a Ganesh statue in Nagamangala taluk. The protest was organised by the Bengaluru Metropolitan Ganesh Utsav Committee and was initially denied permission from the police.

During the protest, a three-star inspector was seen placing the Ganesh statue in a police van meant for arresting protesters. This move quickly caught media attention. Realising the potential backlash, the police promptly placed the statue in a police jeep while arresting the protesters.

“The whole country is celebrating Ganesh Utsav today and the Congress is hampering it… Today it is not the same Congress as before, today's Congress has become the new form of urban Naxal. Congress is no longer ashamed of lying,” Modi claimed.

Also read | Police ban Ganesha statue processions in Bengaluru after violence

Stone throwing in Nagamangala

The situation in Nagamangala had escalated after clashes between two groups during the immersion procession on September 12.

According to police, a dispute broke out between two groups on Wednesday when the procession of devotees of Badarikoppalu village carrying a Ganesh statue reached a place of worship and some miscreants pelted stones, escalating the situation.

The violence caused damage to shops and vehicles. Several people, including two police officers, were injured. The police have now arrested 52 people and issued bans to maintain order.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the violence as the work of miscreants and said the state government was taking it seriously. He urged the public to maintain peace and not to be influenced by agitation.

Home Minister G Parameshwara said the clashes could not be termed “communal violence” as he said the incident was “spontaneous”.

Following the riots, the BJP accused the Congress party of creating a climate of appeasement that led to violence, while JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy condemned the state's handling of law and order. Kumaraswamy warned that if the Congress party continued with its alleged policy of appeasement, it would face severe political consequences.