Mob breaks into madrasa in Karnataka during Dussehra rally, perform Hindu rituals

Bengaluru: Nine persons have been booked in Bidar district of Karnataka after members of a Dussehra procession forcefully entered a heritage madrasa on Wednesday, shouted religious slogans, and allegedly performed Hindu rituals on the premises, NDTV reported.

Some reports said that four persons have been held, but the police have not confirmed the arrests.

Meanwhile, Muslim organizations have promised protests if no arrest is made by tomorrow.

Built in the 1460s, the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa in Bidar comes under the Archeological Survey of India. The heritage structure is also under the list of monuments of national importance.

Police said the mob broke the lock of the madrasa on Wednesday evening.

They shouted "Jai Shri Ram" and "Hindu Dharam Jai" slogans, standing on the stairs of the madrassa, before moving to a corner to perform a puja. Videos from the spot that are circulating online show a huge crowd standing on the stairs, trying to get inside the building.

An officer of the local police said a case has been registered against nine persons, but no one has been arrested yet.

Several Muslim organisations from Bidar have condemned the incident and held protests, demanding the arrest of the perpetrators. They have warned that a massive protest will be held after Friday prayers if the accused are not arrested.

Asaduddin Owaisi, the chief of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, hit out at the state's ruling BJP over the incident, accusing it of promoting such incidents to "demean Muslims".

Critics have accused the BJP of turning parts of the state into a crucible for communal experiments. The allegations started after the row on hijab, and spiked as Hindu groups insisted on banning Muslim traders from temple fairs.

In August, Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated at Hubballi's Idgah ground.