A large gathering of Muslims in Karnataka’s Hubbali district attacked police officials when they tried to stop them from offering namaaz en masse amidst the nationwide lockdown to blunt the spread of coronavirus. 4 police officials, including one woman constable, were injured by Muslim youths as they pelted stones at the police personnel for stopping them from congregating amidst the looming threat of COVID-19.

#Karnataka #WATCH

Stones pelted at Police persons by a mob when they went to stop people, who were gathered in a mosque to offer #FridayPrayers.

4 policemen injured in this attack #Hubbali police have registered a case.@indiatvnews pic.twitter.com/f4EwEzLugW — T Raghavan (@NewsRaghav) April 3, 2020

In a flagrant violation of lockdown restrictions, a raft of Muslims had convened at Mantur road at Aralikatti Oni in Hubbali to offer Friday prayers. When the district administration came to know of the mass gathering for namaaz prayers, 4 police personnel, including a woman constable, were dispatched to stop the mass congregation. Reportedly, a woman of the area and local youths pelted stones at the police van, injuring the 4 officials. The 4 police officials have sustained minor injuries and are currently admitted to KIMS hospital for treatment.

According to Police Commissioner R Dileep, an investigation into stone pelting incident has been ordered and suspected individuals involved in the attack against the police personnel have been detained.

Today several incidents of police attacked by mob for trying to stop mass namaz at mosques have emerged from several places. Stones were pelted on police at mosques at Aligarh and Kannauz, causing injury to several policemen.

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Earlier this week, the Muslims had assembled at a local mosque in Bhogaon, Mainpuri on Wednesday to offer namaz at a time when Uttar Pradesh government had issued orders that no religious places will be kept open for prayers during the lockdown. The local administration had also appealed the Muslims to not assemble at the mosque. When the police tried to stop the people from offering collective namaz, in the view of the coronavirus threat, the agitated Muslim mob unleashed an attack on the policemen.

Before that, a Muslim mob in Meerut created a ruckus over being stopped from offering namaz in the mosques by the city police. Scores of Muslims had hit the streets at around 5:30 PM on Sunday in Meerut following the 5-minute celebration of gratitude expressed towards the frontline workers fighting the coronavirus. Flouting the rules, they had assembled at different mosques in the town- Sisiganj, Safety Tank, Rajbandh Market, Kotwali, Lisadi Gate and Nauchandin, to offer the evening prayers.