Several Karnataka Congress leaders, including its president Dinesh Gundu Rao and leader of the opposition Siddaramaiah, were detained by the police on Saturday, 15 February, as they marched to besiege Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s office to protest against the alleged misuse of the police department by the BJP government in the state.
Rao and Bangalore rural MP DK Suresh tried to jump the barricade erected by the police to stop them, and march towards the Chief Minister’s residence, but were stopped midway and detained.
The march, which began from Gandhi statue on Race Course Road, led to a traffic pile-up.
The principal opposition party in the state alleged misuse of the police department by the state government to book cases against those opposing BJP and its “divisive policies”.
As he was being detained, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah termed the police action as undemocratic.
“Police have no right to suppress or take away our rights,” he said.
Despite BJP activists using “filthy language and making anti-national comments”, no cases were filed against them.
He alleged that BJP was trying to suppress Congress, using the police, and pointed out that cases have been booked against its leader UT Khader and a student from Mysuru for opposing CAA and NRC, while no cases have been filed against ruling party leaders like Somashekara Reddy and Anant Kumar Hegde for allegedly making inflammatory speeches.
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