Congress leaders detained for 'selling groundnut' in C'magalur

The police took Congress district President M L Murthy and other Congress leaders into custody for staging a unique protest of selling groundnuts in front of Higher Education Minister C T Ravi in Chikmagalur on Saturday.

The protest was apparently staged to inform the members of the public that groundnut sellers too have the right to speak against corruption. However, all the detained persons were released later.

As the Congress district spokesperson A N Mahesh had informed the media on Friday evening itself that groundnuts will be sold in front of the Minister’s house at 11 am, the police too were maintaining a vigil in front of the minister’s residence. As soon as Murthy accompanied with other leaders arrived in front of the minister’s residence and poured groundnuts on the ground, apparently to sell, the police took all of them into custody.

It may be recalled that the Congress district president had criticised C T Ravi in a press conference recently by saying that Ravi did not have money to eat even groundnuts. Murthy had also sought to know from where did Ravi got so much money.

On the following day, Ravi and conveyed a press conference and told media persons that “he owed Re 1 to Murthy when he (Murthy) was selling groundnuts. ‘Thanking’ Murthy for ‘reminding’ about the same, Ravi said that he is returning the same (Re 1) with interest (totally Rs 2) through Pushparaj, one of his supporters. However, on the following day, Ravi had regretted for his remarks.

Meanwhile, Murthy organised a novel protest of selling groundnuts in front of Ravi’s residence, apparently, to inform the public that groundnut sellers too have the right to speak against corruption.

Interestingly, when Murthy was sitting to ‘sell’ groundnuts, the Minister’s supporter Pushparaj arrived at the scene to hand over Rs 2, apparently given by Ravi. At this point, there was a heated discussion between Congress and BJP activists. Subsequently, activists belonging to both parties shouted slogans against each other, when the police detained the leaders. However, they were released later.

The detained persons included CPI State Member B Amzad, Raitha Sangha Honourary President K K Krishne Gowda, Hasiru Sene District President Shashidhar, Janadani office-bearer Ravish Basappa, Congress district secretary C H Lokesh, CMC Member Chandregowda and Vinay among others.