Green campaign flash mob sparks communal standoff in Kasaragod

KASARGOD: The flash mob organised by District Suchitwa Mission and Kumbashree Mission for green election campaign ended up triggering a communal clash, albeit unintentionally at Ulliyathadka near Kasaragod town on Friday. Kasaragod police booked 50 people for unlawful assembly and rioting. Three have been taken into custody so far. District Collector K Inbasekar flagged off Haritha Sandesh Yatra, a green campaign to ensure eco-friendly norms in 2025 local body elections, at the collectors office on Friday. Followed by the inauguration, the flash mob team headed to selected places to perform and sensitise people to follow green norms during the elections. Around noon, the flash mob team arrived at Madhur grama panchayat office. Meanwhile, there was a prayer meet (Jummah) under way at a mosque nearby since it was Friday. At the same time, there were BJP workers gathered at Madhur grama panchayat since it was the last day to file nomination for local body elections. When the flash mob happened, a section of people from the mosque opposed it, assuming that it was a BJP programme. Kudumbashree Mission coordinator Ratheesh Kumar said that somebody switched off the audio system citing prayers and the flash mob crew dispersed, heading to the next destination. We were unaware of such a situation brewing over the flash mob we conducted because our crew left from the spot immediately after that, he said. Though the flash mob crew left, tension continued to simmer since there were BJP workers present on the spot. According to the FIR filed by police, the police team received information about the tension around 1.30pm, there were two sections of people one wearing ordinary shirts standing on the north side and the other group wearing saffron bracelets standing on the south side. The group clad in ordinary shirts shouted at the saffron bracelet wearing group, Why are you Hindus conducting a programme when our Jummah prayers are happening, but the other group responded that it was not Hindu or BJP but some government programme. But the Muslim group continued shouting with communal slurs and started advancing towards Hindu group and assaulting them. Upon seeing the police, the people gathered in the spot were scattered and the police team, not sufficient in number, did not engage further since apprehending anyone would escalate the situation further, according to the police official heading the team. Kasaragod SHO Nalinakshan said that there were anti-social elements in the Muslim group which found an opportunity for a clash. The ones who came for prayers continued with it, but the anti-social elements in the group started creating the riot, said the official. They have arrested three persons so far and all of them have pending cases against them. We are looking for others, he added. The Kasaragod police booked 50 people under BNS sections 189(2),191(2),191(3),196,190 for unlawful assembly, rioting and promoting enmity between different groups.