Citing Ganesh Chaturti, police deny PFI permission to stage protest againt Zakir's arrest

Mangaluru: A tense situation prevailed at Ullal on Monday, September 2 after police denied permission to Popular Front of India activists to stage a protest against the arrest of Human Rights and Social Activist Zakir Ullal.

The police reasoned that since people were celebrating Ganesh Chaturti, it was not possible to allow a protest as miscreants would make use of the opportunity to disturb communal harmony.

ACP Kodandarama told the PFI activists in stern words that they could protest on any other day but not on feast day. Police personnel were deployed to keep the members of PFI and SDPI from holding the protest. After an initial reluctance, the PFI activists consented to the police and decided to hold protest on another day.

Ullal police inspector Gopikrishna, Kankanady police station inspector Ashok and Ullal police station inspector Ravish Nayak led the security arrangements.