Protest, counter-protest by Congress and BJP workers in Shivamogga
Members of the ruling Congress and the BJP staged rival protests and attempted to lay siege to each other’s party offices in Shivamogga on Thursday
Members of the ruling Congress and the BJP staged rival protests and attempted to lay siege to each other’s party offices in Shivamogga on Thursday over the NEET-UG question paper leak issue and the Congress-led protest in New Delhi. The Congress workers first staged a protest at Mahaveer Circle, expressing solidarity with the party’s protest in Delhi over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak. They later marched to the BJP office on Pandit Deendayal Road and attempted to lay siege to it. Police shut the doors of the BJP office and put up barricades to prevent the protesters from entering the premises.
However, the Congress workers reportedly removed the barricades and attempted to enter the office. The police detained several Congress workers. Meanwhile, BJP workers staged a protest at Shivappa Nayaka Circle against the Congress-led protest in Delhi. As the Congress workers were protesting outside the BJP office, BJP workers also gathered there and staged a road blockade, condemning the attempt to lay siege to their office. The BJP workers accused the police of failing to prevent the Congress workers from attempting to enter the party office, leading to a heated exchange between the police and BJP workers.
BJP district secretary Harikrishna strongly condemned the Congress protest and criticised the police for allegedly protecting the Congress workers. He also accused the police of manhandling a BJP worker who had opposed the siege. The situation escalated further when a group of BJP workers marched towards the Congress office and allegedly tore down a flex banner. The police detained the BJP workers. As the police were taking them away, the Congress workers who had earlier been detained were released and resumed their protest. They were subsequently detained again by the police.
Later, another group of BJP workers entered the premises of the Congress office and put up a BJP flag at the gate, expressing their anger over the earlier protest. The series of protests and counter-protests led to tension in the city, with police personnel deployed at both party offices to prevent further escalation. District Congress president R. Prasanna Kumar and others led the Congress protest.
The BriefWire