Tension prevailed outside Udayagiri police station in Mysuru on Monday (February 10, 2025) night when a large crowd gathered to protest a derogatory post on social media.
The post showed semi-nude images of MP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with lettering on their bodies in Arabic.
Police said a suo motu case has been booked against the accused and he has been arrested.
Stones were pelted by the crowd, causing injuries to an unspecified number of people amid reports of caning and firing of tear gas shells by the police.
City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar said the police found the social media post derogatory and hence booked a case and arrested the accused. She said the police will also take action against the people who gathered outside the police station and tried to take law into their hands.
Commando troops took march at Udayagiri main road in Mysuru on February 11, 2025. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
Ms. Latkar said the situation was peaceful and called upon people not to aggravate the situation. An appeal was also made by SDPI leader Abdul Majeed on Monday night to people against gathering outside the police station as the police had taken the necessary steps.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up outside the Udayagiri police station on Tuesday (February 11, 2025) with the deployment of additional police force.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) R. Hitendra, who visited Udayagiri police station on Tuesday morning, said preliminary information suggested that the crowd had gathered outside the police station on Monday night after hearing rumours that the accused, who had been arrested, could be released.
Apart from the damage caused to a couple of vehicles, seven police personnel had suffered injuries in the stone pelting, but added that no ‘blood injuries’ were caused to anybody. “All of them took treatment as outpatients,” he said.
He said the police had taken the matter seriously and was scouring the video footage to identify the culprits involved in the trouble outside the police station. The City Police Commissioner had constituted a special team in the regard, he said.
To questions, Mr. Hitendra said the police was investigating all angles including conspiracy behind the trouble.
Published - February 11, 2025 12:25 pm IST
