Karnataka: Tension in Belagavi after Sangolli Rayanna statue defaced

Belagavi: Tension prevailed in Macche village, Belagavi taluk, late Thursday after residents found a black liquid smeared on the statue of freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna. Police deployed additional personnel as a precaution.Residents alerted authorities after spotting the defacement. City police commissioner Bhushan Borase, DCP Narayan Baramani and senior officials inspected the site.Police said it was yet to be confirmed whether miscreants had poured black oil or if sap from a nearby tree had fallen on the statue. Samples have been sent for forensic analysis. The statue was cleaned immediately, and CCTV footage from a camera about 10 metres away is being examined. A case has been registered at Belagavi Rural police station.Commissioner Borase said a complaint had been received regarding the black substance and that an investigation is under way.The incident drew sharp condemnation from Kannada organisations. Deepak Gudaganatti, district president of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (Narayana Gowda faction), demanded swift action and warned of protests if the culprits were not traced.A large crowd gathered at the spot. Residents said the 5-foot-tall black statue, installed three years ago, had never faced such an incident. With Macche's linguistic sensitivity and the coincidence with Chhatrapati Shivaji Jayanti, police are probing all angles.The statue stands under a ficus tree (basari gida) in front of the local town panchayat.