Citing COVID-19, BJP MLAs request Karnataka govt to stop Congress' padayatra entry into city
Bengaluru, Jan 12: Ruling BJP legislators from Bengaluru on Wednesday urged the Karnataka government not to allow Congress' padyatra, demanding implementation of Mekedatu project across Cauvery river, from entering the city to avoid further spread of COVID-19 infections here.
BJP MLAs like Arvind Limbavali, Satish Reddy, Ravi Subramanya and Uday Garudachar in a joint press conference, even requested the Congress to call off the march citing the interest of the people of Bengaluru.
"At a time when corona is peaking, is there a need for it (padayatra)? So, we request them (Congress) to call off the padayatra. If not, we urge the government to take strict measures to stop them. If there is a need, arrest them," said Limbavali, an MLA from Mahadevapura constituency.
Satish Reddy, from Bommanahalli constituency, too called on Congress leaders to call off the padayatra that may spread the virus in the city, as he warned that BJP may have to start 'peaceful protests' against them, if they don't stop.
"I want to tell my Congress friends, Bengaluru has about 1.25 crore population. Once it spreads here, it will spread across Karnataka and may lead to loss of lives... As the cases are spiking, immediately call off the padayatra. If not, people and legislators of Bengaluru know how to stop it... people of Bengaluru will reject you," Reddy said, as he also urged the government to take steps to stop them.
Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya, requested the opposition party to keep aside politics and stand with the people in their sufferings, so as to avoid another lockdown.
"Stop it for now... in the days to come we will all work together for the drinking water needs of Bengaluru," the legislator said, as he asked the government not to remain silent and take strict action in the interest of the people of the state.
Chickpet MLA Uday Garudachar said his constituency which comes in Bengaluru's central business district is a thickly populated area, and asked Congress not to bring padayatra there as it may lead to COVID-19 spread among a lot of daily-wage workers and traders.
"Please don't enter Bengaluru in the interest of its citizens of the city," he said.
Led by state Congress President D K Shivakumar and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah, the padayatra on its fourth day on Wednesday covers a distance of about 15 km from Chikkenahalli to Ramanagara. They are likely to reach Bengaluru city on Friday night.
The 10-day padayatra with the theme 'Namma Neeru Namma Hakku' (Our water, Our right) that began at Sangama, the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers at Kanakapura in Ramanagara district on January 9, will be spanning a distance of nearly 139 kms.
The march from Mekedatu to Bengaluru, passing through Kanakapura, Ramanagara and Bidadi, is scheduled to culminate at Basavanagudi in Bengaluru on January 19.
Reporting another spike, Karnataka on Tuesday had registered 14,473 fresh cases, out of which 10,800 were from Bengaluru Urban alone.
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Protest against demolition drive turns violent in Kolkata, 3 cops injured
Kolkata (PTI): A protest against the recent bulldozer action in Kolkata's Tiljala turned violent on Sunday as demonstrators hurled stones at police personnel in the minority-dominated Park Circus area, injuring at least three officials and damaging several vehicles.
The flare-up came days after bulldozers rolled into Tiljala as part of the West Bengal government's demolition drive against alleged illegal constructions following the factory fire that killed two persons earlier this week.
On Sunday afternoon, a large number of people gathered near Park Circus Seven Point Crossing to protest against the anti-encroachment drive and attempted to block roads, police said.
As police tried to disperse, what they described as an "unlawful assembly", a section of protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, triggering chaos in the area.
Several vehicles parked along the roadside, including those carrying central forces, were vandalised, officials said.
Heavy deployment of Kolkata Police and central forces was made in the area after the clashes. Route marches and intensified patrolling were undertaken in adjoining localities to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy.
Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner Ashesh Biswas said action has already been initiated against those involved in the violence.
"Some people tried to block the road. It was an illegal gathering. The police were trying to disperse them, and there was pelting of stones. Three of our colleagues were injured," Biswas told reporters.
"We have already arrested a few people," he said.
The officer said police followed standard operating procedures, and efforts were underway to identify all those involved in the violence.
"There was an attack on the police. We will see who is behind it and arrest everyone. Strict legal action will be taken," he added.
While the police maintained the agitation was linked to administrative action against illegal buildings, some locals claimed that grievances over alleged restrictions on the use of loudspeakers during religious prayers and curbs on offering prayers on roads had also contributed to the tensions.
The developments come close on the heels of tension in Kolkata's Rajabazar area on Friday, where a standoff broke out after a group of people allegedly attempted to offer prayers on a public road despite restrictions on blocking traffic.
According to police sources, a large contingent of personnel reached the area and asked people to vacate the road, after which the situation turned tense briefly.
Members of the local community argued that holding Friday prayers on roads had been a long-standing practice in the locality, while the administration maintained that keeping roads clear was necessary for traffic movement and maintenance of law and order.
Police, however, did not indicate any direct connection between the Rajabazar incident and Sunday's violence in Park Circus.
Authorities also did not immediately disclose the number of persons arrested in Sunday's clashes or whether any protesters sustained injuries during the confrontation.
