The Bangalore City Police has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr PC in the city for five days from today as a precautionary measure, following the outbreak of violence in Shimoga and Hassan might spread to the city.
The ban orders will be in force till the midnight of March 5, City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidari said in a notification issued here.
Two persons were killed, including one in police firing and four others injured today in violent incidents that broke out over protests against publication of an article in a vernacular daily penned by Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen.
While one died in police firing, another succumbed to injuries sustained in stone pelting in hospital, police said.
A 1,500-strong group took out a procession to express their anger over the article published yesterday in a Kannada daily.
The procession turned violent as some miscreants began pelting stones on vehicles, in which at least 20 including eight state transport corporation buses were damaged. As the situation threatened to go out of control, the police opened fire, killing a person.
Police said four others injured in stone pelting have been hospitalised.
The authorities as a precautionary measure and to check further spread of violence, clamped a dusk to dawn curfew in four trouble-hit localities in old Shimoga.
Prohibitory orders under section 144 Cr. PC was also imposed on the entire city and additional reinforcements have been rushed, Superintendent of Police S Murugan said.
Hassan town was also tense after a protest rally and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.
Several vehicles were damaged in stone pelting and some shops were also torched, police said. Ban orders have also been clamped in the town.
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa who made a suo moto statement in the state assembly on the violence that erupted in Hassan and Shimoga said "the situation is under control now".
He said cases have been booked against those involved in violence.
Sensing trouble over the article, the police heads in all districts were alerted yesterday itself, Yeddyurappa said
A strict vigil was being kept on the situation, he said.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Rehman Khan urged the governemnt to take action on all those who publishes "provocative articles hurting the religious sentiments" without naming any publication.
In a statement faxed from Delhi, Khan, who hails from the city appealed to people to maintain peace and harmony and not to disturb peace or take law into their hands.
Meanwhile, protest were also witnessed in Belgaum, according to reports reaching here.
