Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (RJP)
Kundapur, Jun 20: "Ramanath Rai’s remarks on prominent Hindu leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat is unfortunate. Giving a call to arrest a man by pressurising the police department is condemnable. If at all any attempt is made to arrest Prabhakar Bhat, the entire Dakshina Kannada will burn," warned state BJP executive member B M Sukumar.
He was speaking in a rally held by Hindu Hitharakshana Vedike in Byndoor town in protest against Ramanath Rai on Tuesday, June 20.
"Ramanath Rai is among the Congress leaders who have criminal background. He should be arrested first. He should not sit within the walls and misuse power by criticizing Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat. He should apologize for his recent remarks,” said local BJP leader Sadananda Uppinakudru addressing the protestors.
"Rai is afraid of losing the next elections. So he wants to gain the votes of minorities. That is why he is playing these types of politics by targeting Bhat," he added.
Zilla panchayat member Babu Shetty, Suresh Batawadi, Shankara Poojary, Pushparaj Shetty, Malini K, B S Suresh Shetty. Sridhara Bijoor, Deepak Kumar Shetty, Jayananda Hobalidar, Sadashiva Poojary and Priyadarshini Bijoor from various Hindu organizations were present in the rally among others.
An effigy of Ramanath Rai was garlanded with chappals and later burnt by the protestors.
Protest in Udupi
Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)
Udupi, Jun 20: "Minister Ramanath Rai who sleeps in most places including in the Assembly has woken up suddenly and done a solid job of ordering a false complaint against Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat under section 307," said Vilas Nayak, Udupi district president of Vishwa Hindu Parishat.
He was addressing a protest held by VHP and Bajrang Dal near Udupi Clock Tower here on Tuesday June 20 condemning the purported instructions by minister Ramanath Rai to Dakshina Kannada SP Bhushan G Borase to register complaint under section 307 against RSS leader Prabhaker Bhat and arrest him, in a video that has gone viral.
"The statement by Ramanath Rai is shocking. The SP who is a qualified IPS officer needs to protest against the minister who was showing high-handedness in the manner he was sitting and speaking. Rai has insulted the police. While the district in-charge minister in Dakshina Kannada showed his arrogance, minister Pramod Madhwaraj in Udupi, during an interaction with the citizens, has said that he will suspend the CMC commissioner here. Such blatant misuse of power by elected representatives is against the Constitution. If Ramanath Rai has the courage to order false complaint under 307, we will see him both in the court and outside," he challenged.
Swami Ramachandra of north Kashi Math said, "Ramanath Rai is able to say that he is a Hindu because of a lion like Kalladka Bhat. Congress has become like weeds in a farm, and one of those weeds is Ramanath Rai. It will not take long to pull out that weed."
BJP Udupi district vice-president Baikady Suprasad Shetty, leaders Geethanjali Suvarna, VHP leader Sunil Kumar and others were present.