BJP bike rally clamped down; party determined to protest

The ‘rally politics’ in the state is snowballing into a full blown confrontation between the ruling Congress and the Opposition BJP.

On a day the police clamped down on the proposed 'Mangaluru chalo' bike rally by the BJP to protest the killing of RSS activists across the state, party leaders said they were determined to go ahead with a massive protest meeting in Mangaluru as planned on September 7.

Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy assumed a tough stance, declaring that the government will not grant permission for any political rallies or protests in the coastal region.

Reddy said that on day one of BJP’s Mangaluru chalo, police had detained as many as 1,936 BJP workers across the state and had seized as many as 400 vehicles. Several senior BJP leaders such as R Ashoka, Jagadish Shettar, Pralhad Joshi and Shobha Karandlaje were among those detained. A bus was stoned in Hubballi. In some places, there were skirmishes between the police and the workers. Around 300 BJP workers were taken into preventive custody in Bengaluru by the city police.

Ashoka said the clamp down on the bike rally clearly showed that the state government is “terrified” of the BJP’s support in the state. The BJP has also sought the dismissal of Forest Minister B Ramanath Rai, accusing him of supporting PFI and KFD, which the party believes is involved in the killings.

“The government might have stopped us here or at different places today, but you cannot stop us from reaching Mangaluru on September 7. How many will you arrest? Thousands will come,” Ashoka said.

Reddy said that the government will also not permit Rai’s proposed ‘walk for harmony’ on September 12. However, Reddy said permission will be given if all three political parties - Congress, BJP and JD(S) come together for a peace march.

The minister said that peace had been restored in Mangaluru only recently, and that any form of “provocation” will disrupt the same. Prohibitory orders had been clamped in Mangaluru several times during the last two months . Why does the BJP want to go there? Let them have their event in Bengaluru or any other place,” Reddy said.

CM dares BJP
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dared the BJP to take out a Delhi Chalo rally to pressurise the Centre to waive farm loans, instead of Mangaluru Chalo “that disturbs communal harmony.” “I have seen the book brought out by the BJP for the rally. It is full of inflammatory content and speeches,” Siddaramaiah said.

The chief minister pointed out that the State government had waived crop loans of Rs 50,000 per farmer amounting to Rs 8,165 crore. “Farmers’ have taken Rs 42,000 crore worth loans from nationalised and rural banks. The Congress will join hands with the BJP if they take out a rally demanding waiver of farm loans,” he told reporters.