Bengaluru: BJP rally foiled, tempers run high

Bengaluru/Hubballi: A "Chalo Mangaluru" motorbike rally by members of BJP Yuva Morcha to press for a ban on PFI was foiled by local police officers triggering violence in many places in the state on Tuesday. 

 In all, 4547 people were detained by police officers as members of the Yuva Morcha attempted to participate in the rally despite denial of permission by the local administration. Sensing a law and order problem, the state government denied permission to BJP workers to participate in the rally.  

R. Ashok

In Bengaluru, members of the Yuva Morcha turned violent when police officers were about to arrest leaders, resulting in a fist fight with police. The rally was headed by BJP leader and former deputy chief minister R.Ashok, and MPs, Shobha Karandlaje and Pratap Simha. All the leaders and party workers were forcibly evicted from the spot and driven away to  CAR grounds in Adugodi, Koramangala. 

Udupi-Chikamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje expressed her anger against the state government in general and police personal in particular. It was alleged that while arresting her, police  forcibly took her into the bus, resulting in an injury to her hand.

Aravind Reddy, secretary of the state unit of BJP Yuva Morcha, sustained a fracture in the melee which occurred when policemen attempted to evict him from Freedom Park. He was subsequently admitted to a local hospital. 

Meanwhile police officers blamed a few BJP leaders, including Mr Pratap Simha, who manhandled policemen in plain clothes. 

Following the arrest of party top leaders at Freedom Park in the city, party workers were confused whether to move forward or call off the rally. At the same time police have towed more than 100 bikes parked at Freedom park, party cadre left behind their bikes fearing that police would slap false cases against them. Workers rushed to nearby traffic police stations to collect their bikes. 

Across the state, 2543 bikes entered the streets for "Chalo Mangaluru" rally. In Hubballi, police arrested former chief minister Jagadish Shettar and Hubballi-Dharwad MP Prahlad Joshi. 

Hubballi: Bid to torch buses
Despite security being beefed up in the city in the wake of the motorbike rally by BJP workers, some miscreants tried to torch two KSRTC buses in different localities here on Tuesday. 

Four people arrived on two bikes, barged into a local bus at Ravi Nagar and threw petrol on the bus after  forcing the passengers to get down. They fled from the scene immediately after setting the bus on fire. However, the passengers and residents managed to extinguish the fire before the entire bus was in flames. 

Police officials said that the miscreants, who were wearing  masks, fled the spot after sensing that CCTV cameras were installed at the venue. They  also damaged the window panes of the bus by pelting stone before setting it on fire.

Gokul road police inspector M G Matapathi said that a team has launched a search operation for the miscreants after studying CCTV camera footage. In another incident, miscreants tried to burn a local bus in Nekar Nagar. But, they escaped from the venue without causing 

Mysuru BJP firm on rally despite Sec 144
As many as 1000 BJP members are planning to go on a mangaluru Chalo bike rally condemning the death of pro -Hindutva activists, from the North gate of Mysuru Palace near Kote Anjaneya Swamy temple via Hunsur, Periyapatna and Kushalnagar to Mangaluru on Wednesday. 

But Mysuru city police commissioner Dr A Subramanyeswara Rao has passed  prohibitory orders under section 144 for 48 hours from Wednesday morning, restricting the rally in Mysuru city. "The decision is to maintain law and order and in the interest of the general public, tourists and school children. Those who violate it will be arrested," he said.   Mysuru  incharge minister Dr H.C. Mahadevappa said, "every citizen has the right under the Constitution to protest, but it should be within the legal framework. The decision on the bike rally is left to the discretion of the police."

But BJP MP Mr Pratap Simha said that they would drop the rally only if the state government bans KFD and PFI.