Mangaluru : Police stepped up vigil and sent in forces to prevent communal violence in Bantwal and Mangaluru taluks, and arrested 13 persons in connection with the stone-throwing incidents at BC Road on Saturday.

The stone-throwing took place when the funeral procession of RSS activist Sharath Madivala, who breathed his last in a Mangaluru hospital on Friday, neared BC Road. He was stabbed by unidentified miscreants on BC Road three days earlier. Thousands of Sangh Parivar activists took part in the procession. All the 13 who were arrested based on video footage of stone-throwing incidents, were remanded in judicial custody, police said. IGP (Western range) Hari shekharan told some TV channels that he had instructed police to open fire on elements who resort to attacking them with weapons they carry in vehicles during checks at checkposts.

He had discussed the situation with top district officials and given clear instructions that if a person or group tries to intimidate people or police by unlawful assembly, they can resort to lathicharge.

“If the situation still warrants it, they can use tear gas. But the instructions are they should not hesitate to use force adequately,” he added.

He also said 26 checkposts, demarcated from Farangipete to Kalladka and Vittal, have been set up across the district to check vehicles carrying weapons, which could be used for attacks or to fuel tensions. This is to prevent suspicious persons roaming in vehicles, he said, adding that separate police teams were working to nab the assailants of Sharath Madivala, and they are confident of a breakthrough soon.

Bantwal town, Farangipete and Melkar, which witnessed violence, were almost back to normal, but vehicle movement was limited as it was a Sunday.

Police officials are viewing with apprehension the growing indications of communal intolerance and the mood of the local populace was such that fundamentalist elements could easily exploit the prevalent animosity.

A police source said the youth, who was assaulted by unidentified bike-borne miscreants near Ranipura under Ullal police station on Saturday night, could be related to ongoing incidents.

The victim Cheeranjivi, 24, is a resident of Amblamogaru Kotragutthu and a Bajrang Dal sympathizer. Three bike-borne miscreants way laid Cheeranjivi when he was returning from work, assaulted him with wooden logs and fled the spot.

BJP Union minister for statistics D V Sadananda Gowda, who was in Bengaluru on Sunday , held chief minister Siddaramaiah responsible for the communal violence in Dakshina Kannada and demanded his resignation. “If he can’t handle it, he should resign and pave the way for the Centre to take control of the situation. We will show them how to do it,” he added.

Gowda said the CM, who holds the home portfolio after the resignation of G Parameshwara, should have held a review meeting with officials when he visited Mangaluru last week and issued a stern warning to ensure there were no further attacks. But he chose to keep quiet, which provoked fundamentalists with the support of Congress leaders to continue attacks on BJP and RSS workers,” he alleged.On Saturday night, Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar visited Sharath Madivala’s house to hand over a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to the kin of the deceased.