Riots in Karnataka’s Nagamangala have led to the arrest of 52 individuals and the declaration of a holiday for educational institutions on Thursday. The unrest followed allegations of stone pelting during a Ganpati immersion procession on Wednesday, according to Karnataka Home Minister G. Parmeshwar.

“The incident in Nagamangala should not have occurred. Thankfully, there were no injuries, and the situation is now under control. During the procession, stone pelting occurred, and vehicles were subsequently set on fire. However, no significant harm was done. Both the Superintendent of Police (SP) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) are present at the scene, and peace has been restored,” Parmeshwar said.

“I urge everyone not to publicize such incidents. A total of 52 people from both groups have been arrested,” he added.

Detailing the sequence of events, Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baladandi said that tensions escalated when members of the Ganpati procession staged a protest outside the Nagamangala police station, accusing the police of impeding their procession.

“The police managed to convince the group to continue with the immersion procession. However, violence soon erupted as participants from both sides began throwing stones, and vehicles and shops were set on fire”, SP Baladandi said.

“Seven bikes and six small shops were burned, while a total of 15 bikes and one car suffered minor damage”, the SP added.