JOIN USDirty picture: State erupts in protest
Widespread protests were witnessed throughout the State on Wednesday, against ministers who watched pornography during the Assembly session.
The two ministers as also Minister Krishna Palemar have since resigned from their posts.
N-K, H-K regions
Protests were held in almost all towns and cities of North Karnataka and Hyderabad Karnataka regions, demanding that the former ministers be stripped of their Assembly membership also.
In the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad, members of Congress, JD(S), AIDSO, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and other organisations staged separate protests. Protests were held in Bidar, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Koppal, Bagalkot and other places.
In Patil’s constituency
Congress workers set fire to tyres and took out processions at Nargund in Gadag district, the constituency represented by C C Patil, one of the ministers caught watching the obscene film on the mobile phone. The protest was led by former minister B R Yavagal. The protestors forced some shopowners to down their shutters, while others closed on their own. Attempts to throw stones on shops were made at some places.
Wednesday being the weekly shandy, life was thrown out of gear in Nargund. People faced problems as bus services were cancelled. Traffic was affected for two hours on the Hubli-Sholapur national highway due to the protest. Some schools declared a holiday.
In Gadag city, members of more than 10 organisations held a protest at the Mahatma Gandhi Circle. Congress workers tried to blacken a nameplate bearing Patil’s name, near the office of the district incharge minister. Protests were also held in Mundaragi, Gajendragad, Lakshmeshwar and other places of the district.
In Savadi’s constituency
A total bundh was observed in Athani protesting against former minister Lakshman Savadi, who was caught on camera watching porn videos.
Business establishments and shops remained closed during the day and the town wore a deserted look. Savadi represents Athani constituency in the Assembly.
Activists of JD(S) and Congress staged protests against Savadi in the town. They displayed placards against the former minister for bringing disrepute to the Assembly. They burnt his effigy at Ambedkar Circle. The protesters demanded that criminal cases be registered against all the three ministers involved in the case.
Old Mysore region
Various organisations took out processions against the former ministers. Members of the Congress, JD(S), CPM, CPI, Social Democratic Party of India and Karnataka Rajya Hindulida Vargagala Jagruta Vedike held demonstrations in Mysore city.
In Mandya, several organisations staged protests condemning the act of the ex-ministers. Their effigies were burnt at several places. Mahila Munnade Sanghatane, CITU, Janapara Vedike, Congress, Kannada Sene and other organisations staged protests in front of the city bus stand.
Addressing reporters in Maddur, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda said the incident of the ministers watching porn on mobile phones was “intolerable”. He said the people of the State were watching the misdeeds of the government. They will give a befitting reply, he added.
In Hassan district, protests were held at Channarayapatna, Belur and Sakleshpur against the former ministers. A portrait of former minister C C Patil was smeared with tar at the Channarayapatna taluk panchayat office premises.
In Chamarajnagar, JD(S) activists demanded that the governor should dismiss the State government. JD(S) leader M Mahadev termed the act of the ex-ministers uncivilised. He demanded that they be suspended from the House.
Demonstrations were also held in Davangere, Chitradurga and Shimoga.
Dakshina Kannada, Udupi
Mangalore witnessed six protests, while Udupi witnessed two against former district incharge minister of Dakshina Kannada district, Krishna J Palemar, following the incident of ministers watching sexually explicity video on cellphones inside the Assembly. Demonstrations were also held in Bantwal, Uppinangady (DK) and Karkala, Kundapur (Udupi).
In Mangalore, activists of Congress, CPM, CPI, SDPI, SFI and Jamat-e-Islami-Hind staged protests. In Udupi, members of the Congress and Nagarika Hitarakshana Samiti staged protests against Palemar, Savadi and Patil.