Massive Protest in Belagavi Over Religious Book Burning

Belagavi: A massive protest was held in Belagavi on Friday following the burning of religious books in Santi Bastwad earlier this week. Miscreants allegedly stole and set fire to sacred texts from an under-construction place of worship on Sunday night, prompting community members and like-minded organisations to demand immediate action.

Three religious books kept on the ground floor were found missing the next morning. The charred remains of the books were discovered in a nearby field, just a few metres away from the building.

Meanwhile, Belagavi Rural Police Inspector Manjunath Hiremath was suspended for dereliction of duty. The incident had occurred within his jurisdiction.

As the accused had not been arrested even days after the incident, community members and elected representatives staged a rally near Chennamma Circle. Several shops — both those owned by community members and others—remained shut during the protest.

Speaking at the protest, the protestors strongly condemned the desecration. Defining it as an outrageous act, they demand that the Belagavi police immediately trace and arrest the culprits and initiate strict legal action.

The Belagavi police assured the protestors that strict action would be taken and the culprits would be arrested at the earliest. As a precautionary measure, prohibitory orders were imposed in the area, and nearly 3,000 police personnel were deployed across the city. Despite the tension, the protest remained peaceful and no untoward incidents were reported.