Shivaji statue removal: Bandh brings Bagalkot to a standstill

A day-long bandh called by the BJP and Hindu Jagaran Vedike, condemning the removal of the statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji from Sonar Layout, evoked a massive response in the town on Saturday.

Commercial establishments, including hotels and shops, remained shut in Bagalkot, Navanagar and Vidyanagar. Buses plied but most of them ran empty. Schools and colleges functioned as usual.

The agitating Hindu activists took out a protest march from Basaveshwara Circle. They raised slogans against the Siddaramaiah government and the district administration.

The agitators told the government and civic bodies not to test the patience of Hindus and demanded reinstallation of Shivaji statue at Sonar Layout before August 25. They threatened the district administration and the CMC with an intensified protest if the statue is not put up at its original place.  

Former MLA Veeranna Charantimath, former MLC Narayan Bhandage, Hindu Jagaran Vedike convener Srikantha Hosakeri among others led the protest
march.

The district administration had cleared the statue on the night of August 16 citing it was installed illegally. The Eknath Sindhe-led Maharashtra government had on Friday tweeted condemning the removal of Shivaji’s statue.

Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar took the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to task saying, “The Congress government, which hates Shivaji Maharaj, does not know that Bengaluru, Karnataka's capital, was built by Shivaji’s father Shahaji Raje.”