“More than 150 of our party members went and sat on the road. The police came and dispersed them,” said Hanumanthaiah, a JD(S) supporter. Protesters, comprising women and men, also lay down on the road in an attempt to block traffic.
One of them leapt into the path of a moving car, and sustained slight injuries before police were able to rescue him.
Police had little choice but to use force to disperse the crowd. JD(s) workers claimed that police lathi-charged them, but speaking to Deccan Herald, G Ramesh, DCP (central), denied it.
“We had to clear them off the road and we did. We pushed them to the side but no lathis were used,” he claimed.
Damodar, a passerby, was critical of the protesters. “They were ready to commit suicide and threatened drivers passing through. We, the public want corruption by the BJP and the
JD(S) to be checked,” he said.
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