While the entire nation is under complete lockdown in order to curb the coronavirus pandemic, a group of people reached a mosque in Karnataka’s Hubballi to offer Friday prayers.
Upon receiving information about the alleged gathering at Masjid, a police team reached the spot and asked them not to gather at the mosque amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and asked them to follow the coronavirus lockdown rules.
But the crowd refused to abide by the guidelines regarding the nationwide shutdown, due to which a clash broke out between people and police. The crowd allegedly attacked and pelted stones at policemen.
Hubballi Police commissioner R Dileep said that some among the crowd were also injured.
“Today people had gathered at a prayer hall after a call to offer namaz was sounded. Police, out on rounds, requested them not to gather because of the order of the government and to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease but some people got sentimental about it,” he said.
The leaders of the community immediately came and intervened in the matter. They urged the agitated crowd to exercise restraint saying police were performing their duties and they should not obstruct them.
“But in spite of that, some people got agitated and hurled stones at the cops. Four (police personnel) persons were injured. They got minor injuries but are back on duty. There is nothing alarming and some people from their community were also injured,” the commissioner was quoted saying by the PTI
Ever since the nationwide shutdown has been implemented across India for 21 days, the country has seen several incidents of attack on police and healthcare workers. Recently, doctors were attacked by people in Indore when they had gone to screen the people to check the spread of COVID-19.
Seven persons were arrested by Indore police in connection with the stone-pelting incident. Four persons namely Mohammad Mustafa, Mohammad Gulrez, Shoaib and Majeed have been booked under National Security Act by the Madhya Pradesh government for their involvement in the incident.
