Security was beefed up in Ballari on Friday, even as the situation remained peaceful, a day after clashes allegedly broke out between supporters of BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy and Congress MLA Bharath Reddy over the installation of banners, police said.
One person was killed during the incident on Thursday, they said.
“The situation was brought under control and additional security has been deployed. At present, the situation remains peaceful and all precautionary measures have been taken to ensure that no untoward incident occurs,” a senior police officer said.
Videos circulating on social media showed a private gunman allegedly firing shots into the air as tension gripped the area.
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The confrontation occurred ahead of a Valmiki statue unveiling programme scheduled to be held in the city on January 3.
According to police, supporters of Bharath Reddy were attempting to install banners in front of Janardhana Reddy’s residence in the Avambhavi area, which was opposed by the latter’s supporters, leading to a heated exchange.
What began as a verbal altercation soon escalated into a physical clash, with supporters from both sides allegedly resorting to stone-pelting.
Police sources said stones were also hurled at personnel who rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.
Several people were injured during the incident, and their number and identities were being verified, police said.
As the situation threatened to spiral out of control, police resorted to a lathi charge and had also fired bullets in the air to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Police said investigations are underway to ascertain the sequence of events and verify the allegations.
