Congress workers torch six buses, police jeep in Karnataka

Congress workers torched six buses and a police jeep at Hulkoti,about 10 km from here today in protest against a garland of slippers being placed on a statue of a late veteran party state leader, allegedly by Sri Rama Sene activists.

The Sene activists were suspected to have carried out the act to give vent to their anger against blackening of the face of their leader Pramod Mutalik and attempt to assault him, allegedly by youth Congress workers in Bangalore yesterday.

Police also resorted to lathicharge to disperse the Congress workers, agitated over the slipper garland being placed on the statue of K H Patil last night, police said.

Four Congress workers have been arrested and 20 Sri Rama Sene's activists taken into preventive custody with regard to
last night's incident, police said.

Prohibitory orders have been clamped till 1800 hours of February 14 as a precautionary measure. 

Meanwhile,the bandh call given by Sri Rama Sene activists in Mangalore was a "total failure" with life proceeding normally, barring some stray stone-pelting incidents by them, Superintendent of Police Subramanyeshwara Rao told PTI.

"Eleven Sri Rama Sene activists have been arrested and 24 taken into preventive custody in this connection", he said.