Cong flexes muscles

The State Congress staged massive rallies, bringing peak hour traffic to a grinding halt at major highways, including Bellary Road, Tumkur Road, Hosur Road, Mysore Road and Kanakapura Road, Tuesday morning.

Shouting slogans demanding the ouster of Yeddyurappa, Congress leaders and workers hit the streets at 11 am and demonstrated their protest against the BJP government in 10 different parts of the City.

Giving it a symbolic touch, KPCC president G Parameshwara performed a pooja at the Rajarajeshwarinagar temple, while Congress workers broke hundreds of coconuts. The rallies that saw lukewarm response initially, gained momentum eventually, forcing out a large entourage of police, some of who clashed with protestors at the Rajarajeshwarinagar arch.

Leader of the Opposition in Legislative Council Motamma vowed to resign from her post if the Centre didn't give its nod to Governor H R Bhardwaj's recommendations.

"Yeddyurappa has misused his power extensively. Despite the Supreme Court coming down heavily on the Speaker and chief minister, they have been oblivious to it. They should have resigned by now. By staging these protests we want to send across a message to our Central leaders that we will not take a rejection lightly. If the Governor's recommendations aren't accepted, then the Congress leaders will resign en masse," she said.

While Mahila Congress led by Manjula Naidu brandished broomsticks at Yeddyurappa's effigy in front of Raj Bhavan, Congress workers burnt a large effigy of the chief minister at Minerva Circle and danced around it.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah said the BJP government had “murdered” democracy in the State. He and other leaders including Dinesh Gundu Rao and Krishna Byre Gowda were detained by the police, when they failed to heed to the continued requests by the men in uniform to make way for the traffic.