Deve Gowda seeks judicial probe into Sigaranahalli violence

Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has demanded a judicial probe into the incidents of violence and prevailing tension at Sigaranahalli of Holenarasipur taluk in Hassan district.

While holding Hassan district in-charge Minister, A Manju, responsible for the incidents, Gowda said if the probe report was not ready by the end of this month, then he would stage a protest in front of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s residence on April 28.

Addressing the media in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Gowda, Member of Parliament from Hassan, said he would not participate in the upcoming parliamentary session till the matter was resolved.

In Sigaranahalli, Dalits are prevented from entering the Basaveshwara temple managed by the upper class people. Tension over this has been going on from August 2015, but on April 1 this year, incidents of violence over the discrimination led to law and order problem, he said.

“I have no face to attend Parliament. A small matter has been blown out of proportion and it has now become a national issue. Manju is responsible for the entire episode. He has used police force to intimidate innocent people and arrest them. In my entire political life, I had not seen tension between the Dalits and the upper caste Hindus in the district. The minister is dividing the villagers on caste lines and he has not bothered to visit the village,” he said.

For his part, he said he had also tried calling the District Superintendent of Police, R K Shahapurwad, and the DG&IG over ten times, but to no avail. He had discussed the matter with Home Minister G Parameshwara.

Rubbishing Gowda’s charges, Minister Manju said he had not visited the village because his intervention would be “politicised”. He said he had even tried to hold a peace meeting, but no leaders, including Gowda, participated in it. “Why judicial inquiry. Let the matter be probed by the CBI or Gowda himself,” he said sarcastically.

ZP reservation

Manju said the Gowda family was attacking him as they were upset about Bhavani Revanna not acceding to power in Hassan ZP. “The Gowda family is losing its hold in the district and hence the intimidation. Why is it that only Gowda’s family members should be in power at all times? What is wrong in an ST candidate coming to power?” he said. Bhavani is married to Gowda’s son H D Revanna.