Congress workers condemn Kodagu incident, stage protest in Mysuru

Party leaders seek Home Minister’s resignation

Congress workers staged a demonstration in the city on Friday condemning the Kodagu incident where former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was pelted with eggs.

Mr. Siddaramaiah had visited a few flood-affected areas in Kodagu and was greeted by BJP Yuva Morcha activists with black flags while eggs were also thrown at his vehicle on Thursday.  

Party workers assembled at the Gandhi Square for a demonstration and raised slogans against the government. Earlier, KPCC working president R. Dhruvanarayan told media persons that the Kodagu incident underlined the failure of the Home Ministry and the BJP government. “’Black flag demonstrations have taken place at five places, during Mr. Siddaramaiah’s visit, and it underlines the failure of the police and the intelligence,’, said Mr. Dhruvanarayan.

He called for the resignation of Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, saying that in case he did not, the Governor should sack him. ‘’The government’s intelligence machinery was caught off guard, underlining intelligence failure. In case the police were aware and yet did nothing to prevent such incidents, it proves the fovernment involvement,” said Mr. Dhruvanarayan.

He said the Congress would organise a ‘’Madikeri Chalo’’ on August 26th to lay siege to the office of the Superintendent of Police and party workers from all over the region would take part in it.

Expressing indignation over the Kodagu incident, Mr. Dhruvanarayan said it was a district with a culture to produce soldiers who defend the country. But the BJP had vitiated the culture to such an extent that the local youngsters were turning into ruffians, he added.

‘’That a cowardly act was allowed to take place in the land of soldiers is a blemish on the culture of Kodagu and the BJP is responsible for it,” Mr. Dhruvanarayan added.