Curfew Lifted In Mangaluru: No Untoward Incident Reported

Curfew clamped in Mangaluru in the aftermath of the violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act on Dec. 19 was lifted on Sunday for 12 hours, as no untoward incident was reported from the city.

Two people were killed in police firing on Thursday as protests against the CAA turned violent. Police said the curfew was lifted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday to enable people purchase essential commodities.

No untoward incident has been reported in the city so far, they said. The mobile internet data, which was suspended on Thursday night after the police firing that claimed two lives, was restored on Saturday night, police said.

The suspension of internet helped bring down the intensity of the protest and creating any further disturbance in the district as it checked the spread of rumours and fake news, they said.

Police had clamped curfew in parts of Mangaluru until Friday night and later extended it in the entire Mangaluru commissionerate limits till the midnight of Dec. 22.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had promised on Saturday after discussions with police officials that curfew would be totally lifted from Monday ahead of the Christmas festivities, while prohibitory orders will continue till normality was restored.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal-Secular leader and former Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Sunday visited the families of the two men killed in police firing on Dec. 19. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was barred entry to Mangaluru on Saturday to visit the city.

Kumaraswamy drove from the airport to Kudroli, where he visited the family of Noushin who was killed in the police firing, and later the kin of Jaleel. The former chief minister met the family members, expressed his condolences and handed over a cheque of Rs 5 lakh each to them on behalf of his party. He also visited the Highland hospital where people injured in the protest, including former mayor Ashraf, have been admitted.

Kumaraswamy also tweeted a video of his meeting with the family of Noushin, and urged the state government to investigate the incident in a transparent manner.