Belagavi clash turns into Congress-BJP stand-off

BELAGAVI: Violence witnessed in Khadak Galli is turning into a BJP-Congress stand-off with several top leaders of both parties arriving in the city to mount pressure on investigating officers and the district administration.

A few days after a team of BJP MLAs and leaders headed by former minister C.T. Ravi visited Khadak Galli, another BJP delegation headed by Belagavi MP Suresh Angadi met deputy commissioner N Jairam demanding a judicial probe into the incident.

Even as police arrested 18 people and initiated action to bring the culprits to book, the Angadi-led team objected to suspension of Market police inspector Ramesh Gokak and questioned why the PSI of Malmaruti police station Gaddekar was not suspended over a similar incident recently.

Meanwhile, pro-Muslim leaders met Congress leader C.M. Ibrahim when he arrived here to take stock of the situation at Khadak Galli a few days ago while many Hindu leaders accompanied Mr Ravi when he was here.

When several leaders blamed Mr Sait for Khadak Galli incident, a large number of people under the banner of Sarvadharma Vedike took out a rally on Thursday hailing the MLA for development works in his constituency. The forum submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner in support of the MLA calling him a pro-development leader.