BJP leaders demand suspension of PSI

BJP leaders and workers staged a protest and urged the government to suspend police officer Raghu for allegedly assaulting BJP leader Shivanna Aregudige.

The BJP leaders and workers took out a protest rally from the district BJP office and later staged a protest at Azad Park Circle demanding stringent action against the police officer.

Addressing the protesters, MLA C T Ravi said the police have no right to assault any person. Action can only be taken if a person is proven guilty. Hence, strict action should be initiated against the police officer who has abused his power, he claimed and also recollected how the same sub-inspector had assaulted innocent people in the past.

“The BJP leader was physically abused in confinement by the police. Such acts of hooliganism will not be tolerated. Such incidents blot the image of the police department,” Ravi said and demanded an inquiry on the basis of CCTV footage.

Mudigere MLA M P Kumaraswamy accused PSI Raghu of assaulting Shivanna for silly reasons. “Such was the intensity of assault that the BJP leader was left bleeding,” he said.

MLC M K Pranesh alleged that the attack on Shivanna was pre-meditated.

After the protest, BJP leaders submitted a memorandum to the superintendent of police. Leaders M S Bhojegowda, Kalmarudappa, Varasiddhi Venugopal, C H Lokesh, Banakal Shamanna, Prem Kumar, Rajappa, Devaraj Shetty and Rajashekhar were present.