27 people had been arrested for attacking the Sangolli Rayanna statue in the Belagavi district of Karnataka, informed the police.
"27 arrested in 3 police station limits in Belagavi for attacking the Sangolli Rayanna statue," said K Tyagarajan, commissioner of police, Belagavi.
Tension erupted in Belagavi after a purported video that showed some people pouring black ink on the face of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Sankey Tank Road in Bengaluru went viral.
Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) followers gathered in Belagavi and protested against the Karnataka government at Dharmaveer Sambhaji Maharaj Chowk.
The miscreants smashed around 26 vehicles of the Karnataka government and police at Belagavi.
The protestors alleged that Kannada goons have defaced a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Bangalore.
"The insult on Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Bengaluru is an insult to Hindu society as well. Shivaji maharaja has dedicated His life to Hindu samaj. Act of Some miscreants insulting the statue of Shivaji maharaja is highly condemnable," said Abhay Patil, MLA Belagavi constituency.
"I request the chief minister as well as Home Minister to take appropriate action against the culprits behind the incident. The incident is an insult to the nation. I request the Chief Minister and Home Minister to take proper action against the culprits behind it and make sure this kind of incident will not occur again," he added.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Home minister said, "Strict action will be taken against anyone who indulged in such incidents, no one will be spared," said Araga Jnanendra".
"I condemn the incident in which miscreants damaged the statue of Sangolli Rayanna, a legendary hero of the state," he said.
"Sangolli Rayanna and Shivaji Maharaj, they are the pride of all of us. Every citizen is a proud and proud Indian son because of such personality," he stated.
"In their name, some mischief, misconduct, and degrading linguistic and fraternal affiliation is an inexorable offense," he further stated.
"I have received information on this, and have already filed an FIR related to the Bangalore and Belgavi incident and some have been detained. I urge the people of the state to cooperate in maintaining peace and harmony," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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