Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Dec 20: Former speaker of the state legislative assembly was on Friday December 20 detained at Mangaluru International Airport here, sources said.
He along with other Congress leaders were in the city for a visit in the backdrop of protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The protests on Thursday December 19 turned violent with two protesters dying. The police had resorted to lathi charge, used tear gas shells and opened fire while the protesters hurled stones at them.
It is learnt that the other Congress leaders, which included some from the city, were also detained along with Ramesh Kumar.
The city is under tight security with curfew imposed till December 22.
The police detained Ramesh Kumar and other Congress leaders at the airport without bringing them into the city. They are expected to be sent back to Bengaluru directly from the airport, sources said.
"I was visiting Manguluru to meet the families of the two protesters who were shot dead during the protest. We were detained by the police at the airport itself," tweeted former irrigation minister M B Patil.
Prakash Rathod, Congress legislative council member told IANS: "S R Patil, Nazeer Ahmed, Ugrappa and Basavaraj Rayareddy accompanied Patil in their attempted visit to Manguluru to assess the ground situation in the light of protests and police ban order.
Right now two leaders - Basavaraj Rayareddy and Patil, are on return flight to the city while the others will board the 5.40 p.m. flight, said Rathod.
"Our party leaders, who had gone to see the situation, have been detained in Manguluru airport. I condemn this act to silence us," said former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Siddaramaiah alleged that BJP Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa is making Karnataka another Kashmir.
"All rights enshrined in the Constitution are curtailed," he said.
Rathod assailed the BJP-led government for employing dictatorial tactics and impinging on the right to democratically protest.
"We are with the people of India. BJP cannot cow us down by using force. People will also react and the agitation will get bigger by the day," said Rathod.
"The Congress leaders went to pay respects to the two people who died in Mangaluru yesterday and meet their families," Rathod said.
Earlier in the day, the police arrested around 50 persons who had come by train from Kerala.