<p>District In-charge minister Vinay Kulkarni, who had come under sharp criticism from the villagers of Navalgund taluk over the police excesses at Yamanur village, visited Yamanur and Alagwadi villages on Sunday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The minister along with Deputy Commissioner S B Bommanahalli and SP Dharmendra Kumar Meena held peace meetings in the villages. He appealed people not to resort to violence during their protests against the verdict of the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal.<br /><br />“The incidents which took place in Navalgund taluk in general and Yamanur in particular in the last couple of days are certainly a bad precedent. <br /><br />“Protesters torched several government vehicles. They also set afire and ransacked over 10 government offices and assaulted some policemen. The police officials have tried their best to control the mob,” the minister said.<br /><br />High-level enquiry <br /><br />But, police beating up women and senior citizens is improper. A high-level enquiry would be ordered into the incident. Based on the enquiry report, action would be taken against the guilty police officials.<br /><br /> The police have been directed not to arrest women, <br />senior citizens and children, he said. <br /><br />The irate villagers, particularly women demanded stern action against police. <br />Some of them showed the bruises they have suffered due to ‘brutal attack’ by the police. They said the government had created a fear-psychosis in the taluk.<br />‘Withdraw cases’<br /><br />The villagers said the police have arrested innocent people, mainly youths who had nothing to do with the protest. <br /><br />They urged the minister to immediately bring this issue to the notice of the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and request him hold for a Cabinet meeting to discuss the issue. <br /><br />The government should unconditionally withdraw all the false cases registered against farmers, senior citizens and women and release them immediately, they demanded. <br /><br />Kulkarni said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would soon convene a meeting of elected representatives and the advocates representing Karnataka before the Tribunal to discuss the State’s legal recourse.<br /></p>
<p>District In-charge minister Vinay Kulkarni, who had come under sharp criticism from the villagers of Navalgund taluk over the police excesses at Yamanur village, visited Yamanur and Alagwadi villages on Sunday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The minister along with Deputy Commissioner S B Bommanahalli and SP Dharmendra Kumar Meena held peace meetings in the villages. He appealed people not to resort to violence during their protests against the verdict of the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal.<br /><br />“The incidents which took place in Navalgund taluk in general and Yamanur in particular in the last couple of days are certainly a bad precedent. <br /><br />“Protesters torched several government vehicles. They also set afire and ransacked over 10 government offices and assaulted some policemen. The police officials have tried their best to control the mob,” the minister said.<br /><br />High-level enquiry <br /><br />But, police beating up women and senior citizens is improper. A high-level enquiry would be ordered into the incident. Based on the enquiry report, action would be taken against the guilty police officials.<br /><br /> The police have been directed not to arrest women, <br />senior citizens and children, he said. <br /><br />The irate villagers, particularly women demanded stern action against police. <br />Some of them showed the bruises they have suffered due to ‘brutal attack’ by the police. They said the government had created a fear-psychosis in the taluk.<br />‘Withdraw cases’<br /><br />The villagers said the police have arrested innocent people, mainly youths who had nothing to do with the protest. <br /><br />They urged the minister to immediately bring this issue to the notice of the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and request him hold for a Cabinet meeting to discuss the issue. <br /><br />The government should unconditionally withdraw all the false cases registered against farmers, senior citizens and women and release them immediately, they demanded. <br /><br />Kulkarni said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would soon convene a meeting of elected representatives and the advocates representing Karnataka before the Tribunal to discuss the State’s legal recourse.<br /></p>
