A member of the Muslim community offers buttermilk to a Hindu devotee during the Hanuman Jayanti procession in Kadapa on Tuesday, as Kadapa Superintendent of Police Nachiket Vishwanath Shelke looks on. | Photo credit: Special arrangement
Communal harmony returned to Kadapa city on Tuesday (May 12, 2026), three days after two communities engaged in mob violence and stone-pelting on Saturday (May 9, 2026), allegedly over the naming of a city circle after a leader from one community.
On the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, a religious procession took place in the city on Tuesday, which became an occasion to show camaraderie and brotherhood between the two communities.
In Hanuman Shobha Yatra, Hindu Muslim Bhai Bhai…Sarvamata Sammelanam program which Chatti said….Muslim brothers kindly distributed buttermilk, fresh water and cold drinks to Hindu brothers. #kadapasp#kadapapolice@APPOLICE100#dial112#hanumanshobhayatra#HinduMuslimUnitypic.twitter.com/qzKjEytQm3
— Kadapa Police (@Kadapa_Police) May 12, 2026
As a goodwill gesture, members of the minority community offered buttermilk to the participants of the procession.
District Collector Sridhar Cherukuri and Nachiket Superintendent of Police Vishwanath Shelke brought the two groups to the negotiating table, defused the tense situation and settled the dispute through talks.
Kadapa MLA R. Madhavi Reddy accused anti-social elements of having a role in fomenting trouble in the city, which was otherwise known for religious coexistence and communal harmony.
Although the Hanuman Jayanti procession was widely feared to rekindle trouble, heavy deployment of police personnel, pre-emptive detention of suspected miscreants and pre-emptive talks with community leaders helped ease the situation.
Published – 13 May 2026 08:28 IST
