Karnataka Cong leaders detained for bid to besiege CM''s office

Bengaluru, Feb 15 (PTI): Several Karnataka Congress
leaders, including its president Dinesh Gundu Rao and leader
of the opposition Siddaramaiah, were detained by the police
here on Saturday, as they marched to besiege Chief Minister B
S Yediyurappas office to protest against the alleged misuse
of the police department by the BJP government in the state.
    Rao and Bangalore rural MP D K Suresh tried to jump
the barricade erected by the police to stop them, and march
towards the Chief Ministers residence, but were stopped
midway and detained.
    The march, which began from Gandhi statue on Race
Course Road, led to a traffic pile-up.
State Congress had organised the protest over
sedition case filed against a Bidar school and arrest of a
parent and the headmistress (now on bail) for their alleged
involvement in staging a drama portraying Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in poor light in connection with the
(Citizenship Amendment Act) and NRC (National Register of
Citizens).
     The principal opposition party in the state alleged
misuse of the police department by the state government to
book cases against those opposing BJP and its "divisive
policies".
     As he was being detained, former Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah termed the police action as undemocratic.
     "Police have no right to suppress or take away our
rights," he said.
     The Congress had planned to lay siege to Chief
Ministers office as law was being violated across the state
and false cases were being filed for sedition against
political opponents, especially from Congress and those
opposing the CAA and NRC, Siddaramaiah said.
Despite BJP activists using "filthy language and
making anti-national comments", no cases were filed against
them.
     He alleged that BJP was trying to suppress Congress,
using the police, and pointed out that cases have been booked
against its leader U T Khader and a student from Mysuru for
opposing CAA and NRC, while no cases have been filed against
ruling party leaders like Somashekara Reddy and AnantKumar
Hegde for allegedly making inflammatory speeches. PTI KSU
NVG NVG

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)