Clashing BJP workers caned at yatra meet in Kundapur

The police resorted to mild lathi charge to disperse two groups of BJP workers who clashed during the party's Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthana Yatra at Nehru Maidan here on Monday.

During the convention, the party workers shouted slogans in favour of and against Kundapura MLA Haladi Srinivas Shetty (Independent), who is all set to join the BJP.

After the convention, when the party workers were engaged in a scuffle, the police intervened and resorted to mild lathi charge to disperse them.

During the programme, Udupi district BJP president Mattaru Rathnakar Hegde did not announce Shetty's name in his speech, enraging his supporters. The MLA's supporters started shouting slogans in his favour. Some BJP workers who are against his induction into party also raised slogans against Shetty. Some also displayed posters against the MLA, which led to chaos at the event.

BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa intervened and said that due technical problems, Shetty has not joined the BJP yet. He will officially join the BJP in January, he added.

Enraged over slogans against Shetty, Yeddyurappa lost his cool and shouted at party workers and said, "the BJP will not tolerate miscreants and goondas. Shetty will contest on the BJP ticket from Kundapura and win the forthcoming Assembly elections," he announced.

When the party workers continued to create a ruckus, Yeddyurappa rquested the police to send all trouble mongers out of the convention venue.