Mangalore tense, curfew relaxed in Shimoga

Tension prevailed in parts of Mangalore on Wednesday, while the situation was relatively calm in Shimoga town, which witnessed violent protests over an article purportedly written by Bangladeshi writer Tasleema Nasreen.

Unidentified people had thrown a petrol bomb on the office of Kannada Prabha, a prominent Kannada daily which had carried the translated version of Nasreen's purported article in its Sunday edition, besides stoning a local English eveninger on Tuesday night.

Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders in the city and posted police pickets at all sensitive areas, besides deploying additional forces.

No untoward incident has been reported so far since Tuesday night, the police said.

Residents of Shimoga were relieved after authorities relaxed curfew on Wednesday morning to facilitate purchase of essential goods.

Shimoga, the home district of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, has been under curfew since two days after protests over publication of Nasreen's article on the burqa tradition led to violence, claiming two lives, including one in police firing.