Mysore:  Nearly 15 policemen sustained minor injuries after they were stoned at by some miscreants who were protesting against the damage caused to the portrait of Dr BR Ambedkar by some miscreants at the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Circle on the Mysore-Bangalore road in the heart of the city on May 11, Friday.

As the news of the damage caused to Ambedkar’s portrait spread like wild fire hundreds f Dalits gathered around the circle and began to protest by burning tyres and resorting to rasta roko. This disrupted traffic on the road for over two hours.

Though the efforts made by the police authorities, Mayor MC Rajeshwari Puttaswami and others to convince the agitators to withdraw their protest, it went unheeded. When the cops tried to disperse the mob, the latter retaliated and hurled stones at the policemen injuring at least 15 of them. Even Basavaraj Malagatti, DCP (Law and order) is learnt to have sustained some minor injuries.

The protest was withdrawn only after Malagatti assured to order a thorough probe into the incident, to have CC cameras in the area and 24 hour security arrangements.

Senior officials including DC PS Vastrad and district minister SA Ramdas who rushed to the spot have directed the police authorities to trace the guilty at the earliest.