Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network –Mangaluru (SB/ANK)
Mangaluru, Sep 7: Hundreds of people gathered at Ambedkar Circle in city for the Mangaluru Chalo rally. They managed to cross the barricade to move towards Nehru Maidan after speeches were delivered by BJP leaders. However, as police in various districts of the state had already taken action against holding the rally in Mangaluru, seizing several bikes and stopping processions towards Mangaluru, the crowd was not as big as the BJP had hoped to gather.
The protestors were uncontrollable when they crossed the barricades and a press reporter was injured when a barricade hit him. Sources also said that the protestors attempted to assault a journalist.
State BJP president Yeddyurappa, Shobha Karandlaje, local MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Jagadish Shettar, Eshwarappa, R Ashok, Pratap Simha, Aravind Limbavali, district BJP president Sanjeeva Matandoor, C T Ravi and many MLAs and MLCs were present at the venue.
Many of the leaders were detained by the police. Later they were released.
Total 850 persons were detained and released during the rally.
Police had put barricades towards Hampanakatta to stop people from marching in groups.
Private vehicles and individuals were allowed earlier to move on the road. But due to chaos after the crowd crossed the barricade, the situation has become tense with people marching towards Nehru Maidan.
Protestors reached the DC office with shouting slogans. Police managed to control the situation without resorting to caning. Police tried to detain the people. They managed to detain many. But it was difficult for them to detain the large gathering.
Police were on high alert to avoid any untoward incident.
More than 1,000 police personnel were present near Ambedkar Circle which is also known as Jyothi Circle. Rapid Action Force is also stationed at the spot.
Police commissioner T R Suresh was monitoring the situation.
Earlier Dakshina Kannada Yuva Morcha president Harish Poonja welcomed the gathering and many BJP leaders delivered speeches.
Pratap Simha in his speech said, "Coastal region is known for peace. It is the soil of Rani Abbakka. But now Ramanath Rai is turning this region into a war field. He is favouring the terrorist elements. He is against the Hindu community. He is the main person responsible for peace disturbances in Mangaluru. Chief minister Siddaramaiah is also following the same style. He has become 'Sultan Siddaramaiah'. People of the state and the members of BJP will teach them a lesson in the next election. Our fight continues until a ban is enforced on PFI, SDPI and KFD."
Shobha Karandlaje addressing the people said, "Ignoring the government’s threat, our members have gathered here in large numbers. It shows who we are. Siddaramaiah is imposing the emergency indirectly in the state He is busy in crushing the agitations which we are conducting in a democratic way. He does not have guts to arrest Kalburgi murderers, and other popular personalities. He is only after the arrests of Hindu leaders and members. He is openly supporting to SDPI, KFD, PFI for their anti-social activities. Today this state government is trying to stop our bike rally. But we have other ways to protest against the government. This government has only 4 months validity. After that we will come to power and will ban KFD, SDPI and PFI."
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said, "Many impediments came for Mangaluru Chalo rally. Siddaramaiah’s government is afraid of us. So they tried to interrupt the rally. Several Hindu activists have been murdered but Siddaramaiah is defending the PFI and SDPI who are involved in the murders. There were 13 assaults in the district in a year. Ramanath Rai is not fit to be minister. He should resign immediately. No action has been taken against any assaults or murders. Ramanath Rai instigated the communal violence in the district and also demanded arrest of Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat. The government is misusing the police department.
"The government is trying to defame BJP and also seizing bikes and detaining our representatives. We are just asking for security, not permission. Providing security was their duty. Instead they tried to stop us from organising Mangaluru Chalo rally," Kateel added.
R Ashok said, "It is clear that Yeddyurappa will be in power within four months. We are not fighting against police but against Siddaramaiah-led state government. The government is safeguarding the murderers of RSS activists. Even M M Kalburgi's murderers have not been apprehended yet. Law and order has completely failed in the state. Siddaramaiah is sleeping. Ramanath Rai and UT Khader instigated the violence in the district. PFI and SDPI are like sons of Pakistan who try to destroy peace in the state by involving in several murders of RSS activists."
Jagadish Shettar alleged that Siddaramaiah government is known to give clean chit to offenders.
Speaking to the people who gathered at the rally, he congratulated them for coming in spite of State government’s effort to snatch away their freedom to protest. He declared Yeddyurappa to be the future CM.
“No culprit has been arrested in MM Kalburgi’s murder. Though Gowri Lankesh’s family insisted for a CBI probe, the state government has handed over the case to Special Investigation Team. Even in DySP Ganapathi’s case, the case was given to CID who gave a clean chit to K J George in less than a month,” Shettar said.
Even with regard to Excise Minister HY Meti sex tape scandal, the Minister got a clean chit even though the tape reveals everything, he added.
“The RSS activist who died was a true patriot. I am ready to resign if Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD) organisations did not utter Pakistan Zindabad in Shivmogga. Why is the government defending traitors,” questioned K S Eswarappa.
“We are not like Congress who defends traitors,” Eswarappa said. Terming Rahul Gandhi as ‘Bachaa’, he said neither he or Gandhi family knows anything about ‘Bharat Matha’ or RSS and are trying to destroy RSS.
He demanded the ban of KFD and Popular Front of India. He also demanded a CBI probe in the murders of all Hindu activists.
Aravind Limbavali said that the BJP is demanding arrest of the culprits who murdered Hindu leaders, activists, and thinkers. "But the government is threatening us of putting us behind the bars instead of the perpetrators of crime. How can one expect us to bear with this kind of government?," he wondered.
"Yeddyurappa is the only leader capable of arresting the anti social activists and terrorists. Siddaramaiah will never allow the police to harm them in any way," he added.
Limbavali said he heard Congress is planning to organize Unity March in the coming days. "I would say it will become a funeral procession for the Congress. At the same time, we are not asking resignation of Ramanath Rai. We seek his ouster from the government. He is not fit to be called a representative of people," he explained.
"Today, our bike rally was stopped by the government. But in the coming days we will organize the bike rally in every village. It will continue till the Siddaramaiah government is unseated," he vowed.
MP, Prahlad Joshi, claimed that PFI and KFD are functioning in India with the support of Pakistan to disrupt peace. "Siddaramaiah has been supporting these Pakistani agents . He is not bothered by the murders of Hindu people who are true Indians. Siddaramaiah himself is a a brand ambassador of Ahinda. But he is doing nothing for the welfare of backward classes. They are not safe under his rule. He only is interested in extending protection to Pakistani supported like PFI and KFD," he claimed.
He announced that BJP members and true Indians will teach a lesson to this govt in the next election.
"Siddaramaiah has converted Karnataka into a war zone. Congress in-charge Venugopal is trying Kerala model politics, which is based on murder of Hinuds. But it will not work for long, as attack on Hinuds and Hindu organizations will be resisted,” said BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa.
He alleged that murders and riots show the failure of the present state government. It is up to BJP to bring back good governance in the state. This will be last term of Congress in Karnataka and Siddaramaiah will be the last Congress CM, he added.
Later the crowd came to Nehru Maidan from DC office where Yeddyurappa addressed them briefly. He condemned the state government and police in his speech.
After that the crowd dispersed.
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