Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, Mysuru MP, was also among the BJP leaders taken into custody during the protest against the MUDA scam in Mysuru on Friday. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
Tension prevailed on the streets surrounding Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) premises in Mysuru on Friday, July 12, with the BJP holding a demonstration against the alleged scam in the allotment of sites by MUDA while a large gathering of Congress supporters held a counter-protest.
While several BJP supporters led by T.S. Srivatsa, Krishnaraja MLA, Mysuru City BJP president L. Nagendra, and Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, Mysuru MP, gathered near Maharaja’s college grounds raising slogans against Congress and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the alleged illegal allotment of MUDA sites, the Congress supporters held a counter-protest near the MUDA office on Jhansi Lakshmi Bai Road.
The BJP, which was demanding a CBI probe into the MUDA scam, had proposed to lead a march of its supporters to the MUDA premises. But, the police thwarted their plans when it began taking the saffron party workers into custody. A large number of BJP workers including their leaders were bundled into waiting police vehicles and taken away. They were taken to CAR grounds in the city and later released.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok and former Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayan, who were scheduled to participate in the BJP rally, arrived at the protest venue after the police began taking the party workers into custody.
After police arrested party’s State president B.Y. Vijayendra and other party workers on the outskirts of Bengaluru and prevented their presence at the BJP’s protest, Mr. Ashok said he and Ashwath Narayan were forced to travel in a vegetable van to reach Mysuru.
But, Mr. Ashok and Mr. Ashwath Narayan too were taken into custody by the police from the venue.
Meanwhile, high drama unfolded even at the Congress protest when the police barricaded the march of the ruling supporters towards Maharaja’s college grounds to “seek proof” for their charge that Mr. Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi had been allotted MUDA sites illegally.
Congress supporters staging a protest outside MUDA premises against efforts by BJP to tarnish Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s name in MUDA scam, in Mysuru on Friday, July 12. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
Claiming that Ms. Parvathi was entitled to the MUDA sites as her land had been encroached on to build a layout, Congress leaders alleged that scams in the MUDA had taken place during the BJP’s tenure in the State.
The Congress leaders tried to push the barricades erected near MUDA to prevent their march towards the BJP’s protest venue, but the police personnel stood their ground. Angry altercations took place between Congress leaders and senior police officials at the protest venue.
Police as well as rains prevented the Congress supporters from marching towards BJP’s protest venue.
Senior police officials including City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, Deputy Commissioners of Police M. Muthuraj and Jahnavi were present at the protest venues, supervising police arrangements.
Meanwhile, the stretch of Jhansi Lakshmi Bai Road from Ramaswamy Circle to Metropole Circle or Field Marshall K.M. Cariappa Circle was barricaded and kept out of bounds for the vehicles in view of the protests.
Buses plying the road, including KSRTC buses operating on the Mysuru-Hunsur route, were diverted to other roads, affecting the bus passengers boarding and alighting the buses on the regular route.
