The Federation of Oppressed Communities held protests in Mysuru and Mandya on Tuesday, January 30, to condemn the alleged pelting of stones on Kurubara Sangha hostel in Mandya during the padayatra taken out by the BJP over the Keragodu flag row.
In Mysuru, a protest was held near the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Siddharthanagar, where activists from the federation, Kurubara Sangha, and other backward communities’ organisations gathered and shouted slogans to express their ire against the alleged stoning of the hostel and damage to a portrait of Kanakadasa.
D. Thimmaiah, MLC, M.K. Somashekar, former MLA, former President of Karnataka Pradesh Kurubara Sangha Subramanya and president of Backward Classes Awareness Forum K.S. Shivaram were among the protestors.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Mr. Thimmaiah sought action against the persons responsible for pelting stones on the hostel and damaging the portrait of Kanakadasa.
He alleged that certain vested interests were promoting hatred among different communities and castes for the sake of reaping political benefits.
Mr. Somashekar alleged that the BJP leaders were known to ignite trouble. He said the BJP was trying to foment communal trouble in Mandya district with an eye on the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Protest in Mandya
Meanwhile, the Federation of Oppressed Organisations, Mandya District Kurubara Sangha and Ahinda organizations took out a padayatra from Taluk Kurubara Sangha hostel to the office of Mandya Superintendent of Police and submitted a memorandum seeking action against the persons, who trespassed into the hostel and damaged the portrait of Kanakadasa on Monday.
In a statement, KPCC general secretary B.S. Shivanna alleged that some persons broke into the hostel premises on Monday, January 29, during the protest taken out by the BJP over the Keragodu flag row and damaged the windows of the hostel, besides defacing the portrait of Kanakadasa.
Mr. Shivanna alleged that the BJP was frustrated with the soaring popularity of the Congress government, which was implementing the guarantee schemes. Hence, the saffron party, along with its frontal organisations and JD(S) was sowing seeds of hatred in the minds of the people of Mandya by taking up the Keragodu flag issue.
Instead of taking out a padayatra from Keragodu to Mandya, Mr. Shivanna said the BJP should take out a padayatra to the Parliament in the national capital to urge the Centre to release funds to tackle drought in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) spokesperson M. Lakshmana too condemned the tearing of posters of Congress leaders during the BJP padayatra in Mandya on Monday and called for the transfer of senior police officials over their failure to prevent the vandalisation that took place on the streets of Mandya on Monday.
