Savarkar, Tipu Sultan poster row: 4 arrested for stabbing as Tension prevails

Bengaluru, Aug 16: The Karnataka police on Tuesday arrested four men in connection with the stabbing of two persons following the row over the removal of Veer Savarkar's flex from a circle of Shivamogga city.

The police have identified two of the four men arrested as Nadeem (25) and Abdul Rehman (25). According to police, the main accused was zeroed in after the arrest of Nadeem, a resident of JC Nagara and Abdul Rehman, a resident of Budhanagar.

One of the accused suffered a bullet injury in the leg during the police operation to take them into custody. The man allegedly tried to attack the policemen, they said.

District police chief BM Laxmi Prasad said heavy force is on the ground to prevent any flare-up and prohibitory orders will be in force for the next 48 hours. Schools in the area have been asked to stay shut for the next two days.

According to police, Prem Singh (aged 20) was stabbed after clashes broke out between two communities in the town over putting up banners of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and 18th century Mysuru ruler Tipu Sultan on Monday.

Soon after the clash, prohibitory orders under section 144 of the IPC were imposed in the town.

A case of attempt to murder was also registered under section 307 of the IPC against those who stabbed Singh.

The violence in Shivamogga comes against the backdrop of a war of words between the ruling BJP and the Opposition over the state BJP government omitting the picture of Jawharlal Nehru and accommodating Sarvarkar's in an advertisement for the Har Ghar Tiranga campaign.