Cong protest amidst high drama

Police manhandled leaders planning stir against misdeeds of the government

The agitated Congress leaders raised slogans against the BJP and made efforts to enter Vidhana Soudha and eventually detained by the police.
There were series of complaints by the agitators. They complained to the Governor, speaker of the Legislative Assembly, chairman of the Council and the State Human Rights Commission on the grounds that they were prevented from entering Vidhana Soudha and hold the CLP meeting.

The police outnumbered the Congressmen around Vidhana Soudha. The drama unfolded near Basaveshwara Circle. Former ministers T B Jayachandra, K B Kolivada were among those detained first. The Congress leaders came in small groups raising slogans that the CM was anti-democratic.

While some vehicles of the leaders were halted by the police near the Congress Bhavan on Queen’s road, some were taken to the custody near Balekundri circle. KPCC president R V Deshpande, vice president D K Shivakumar, leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah were prevented from walking towards the secretariat. V S Ugrappa along with his followers slept at the centre of the circle. The police bundled him into a bus. Later all of them were in the police custody.

Senior leaders of the party, including former union minister Jaffer Sharief, who did not take part in the protest met the Governor in the evening to complain that the government detained party leaders illegally. They alleged that the police manhandled the leaders, who had plans to stage a peaceful protest against the misdeeds of the government. The party also requested the Governor to visit the place where the party leaders had been kept.

The party had also complained to State Human Rights Commission chairman S R Naik that the government violated human rights of the party leaders. A delegation of Congress leaders also met speaker Jagadish Shettar and requested him to take proper action against the government for ill-treating the legislators.

CM defends
Yeddyurappa defended the arrest of Congress leaders stating that the security of Vidhana Soudha was paramount. “If they (Congress) could have held the protest at any other place, I would have no objections. In fact, I would have even met them at their place of protest. But they chose to picket Vidhana Soudha, the security of which cannot be compromised”, Yeddyurappa told reporters.