9 booked after mob barges into heritage Madrasa in Karnataka on Dussehra, performs puja

According to eyewitnesses, nine people from a group did the puja in the presence of the police during the Bhavani Devi procession. After the video got viral, a few members of the local Muslim community staged a protest in front of the Police station, demanding action.

Tensions erupted in Karnataka's Bidar district after a Dussehra procession allegedly stormed into the grounds of Mahmud Gawan, a historic Madrasa, and conducted pooja. The cops have set up security around the scene. According to reports, nine persons have been arrested for trespassing on the ASI historic site after claimed video recordings of the event went viral. They have not, however, been arrested.

They shouted "Jai Shri Ram" and "Hindu Dharam Jai" slogans, standing on the steps of the madrassa, before moving to a corner to perform a puja. Videos circulating online show a huge crowd on the steps, trying to get inside the building.

Several Muslim organisations from Bidar have condemned the incident and held protests. They have threatened a massive protest after Friday prayers if all the accused are not arrested.

Asaduddin Owaisi, the head of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, lashed out at the administration of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai over the event. He accused the BJP of encouraging such acts in order to "demean Muslims."

Built-in the 1460s, the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa in Bidar is a designated heritage site under the Archeological Survey of India. The structure is also listed among monuments of national importance.