Karnataka BJP youth wing’s call for a bike rally to protest against the killings of RSS activists in coastal district of Mangaluru on Tuesday was thwarted across Karnataka by police. In Bengaluru, a clash broke out between police and BJP leaders when they were refused to take out a bike rally to be culminated at Mangaluru on Thursday.
The police arrested many BJP leaders and activists at Freedom Park in Bengaluru and later released them. The communally sensitive coastal districts of Mangaluru and Udupi have seen many killings belonging to both the communities and it has become a major issue for the BJP, which is demanding the resignation of District Incharge Minister Ramanath Rai. Many RSS activists have been murdered along with the activists of other community. The BJP is demanding a ban on Popular Front of India, which they term as “fundamentalist”, and the resignation of District In-charge Minister Ramanath Rai, holding them responsible for the killings.
The rally by the party’s youth wing was against the alleged murder of 18 Hindu activists and repeated incidents of violence against them in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.
The BJP leaders alleged that the Government was creating a situation of an ‘undeclared bandh’, with an intention to stop the rally and asked the Government not to stop the rally, being held democratically.
A large posse of police personnel were deployed at the route since morning to prevent the bikers to hold Mangaluru Chalo rally. Several BJP workers were detained after they set out on the bike rally organised in protest against the alleged killings of Hindu activists in the coastal districts.
Among those detained were former Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka, lok Sabha member Pratap Simha and MlAs Arvinda limbavali and Satish Reddy. BJP MP Shobha Karndlaje and BJP spokesperson S Prakash were also arrested.
Ashoka and other leaders sat in protest near the Freedom Park and demanded that police furnish an arrest warrant, resulting in a heated argument between the officials and the leaders, following which they were frisked away.
The Bengaluru police had put in place prohibitory orders late on Monday, while Mangalore police have denied permission to hold the rally.
According to the programme announced by BJP, the rally towards Mangaluru commenced from different places, including Bengaluru and Hubballi, on Tuesday and from Shivamoga, Mysuru and other nearby areas to Mangaluru on September 7.
Senior party leaders, including State unit chief BS Yeddyurappa, was expected to take part in the rally at Mangaluru on September 7. There were reports of police crackdown on BJP workers who were going ahead with the rally in different parts of the State, including Bengaluru, Hubballi, Kalaburgi, Belagavi and Ballari.
BJP leaders have alleged that there were also incidents of lathi-charge on party activists.
According police, over 800 BJP leaders and activists were taken into custody when they tried to take out bike rally-- ‘Mangaluru Chalo’ defying ban order, to protest against alleged ‘political killings of pro-Hindu activists’ in the State.
Defending the ban on the bike rally, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the police took quick action to defuse the situation which was politically motivated and would have caused serious communal trouble in the State.
The BJP workers tried to take out rallies in Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikballapura, Hubbali, Bellary, Mysuru and some other districts but many such activists were taken into custody and the two-wheeler were loaded into trucks and taken away by the police.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said any protest or a rally that is is held peacefully can be allowed but accused the BJP of arousing communal unrest.
“I suggest the BJP to take up padayatra from Bengaluru to Mangaluru rather than bringing the busy traffic in the State capital to grinding halt and affecting movements of vehicles on the highways by taking Bike rally,” he said.
Meanwhile, State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa who had said that he would flagoff the rally from the city, remained in his house and did not turn up at the Freedom Park. Sources close to him said he would go directly to Mangaluru and lead the protest on September 7.