Karnataka: Defiant BJP continues Mangalore Chalo rally, charges state govt with imposing 'undeclared emergency'

To ensure that no violence erupts at “Mangalore Chalo” rally organised by Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) youth workers to protest political killings of Hindus in the region, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has deployed hundreds of policemen at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park, where the rally began, ANI reported.

Clashes, however, erupted between BJP workers and police after several protesters were stopped on the outskirts of Bengaluru and a few others were detained.

#MangaluruChalo rally: Clash between Police and BJP workers in Karnataka's Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/giu9Sb9bIo

— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2017

The bike rally has set the ground stage for a bitter showdown between the saffron party and the ruling Congress party in the state. BJP leaders R Ashoka, Shobha Karandlaje and BJP Yuva Morcha president Pratap Simha have reportedly been taken into preventive custody by the state police, along with over 500 other workers. Despite blockades, over 200 bike riders went ahead with the rally. However, The Hindu reported that the rally was aborted minutes after it was flagged off after Simha blocked traffic, protesting arrests by the police.

Ashoka and Simha had to be forcefully dragged out and detained after they alleged that the police had no power to arrest them as there were no prohibitory orders in force in the area.

Former DCM R Ashok being dragged by Bangalore Police during Manglaore Chalo bike rally. #EmergencyinKarnataka pic.twitter.com/C9o2nqxXpD

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) September 5, 2017

The protesters are also demanding the resignation of district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai, reported Livemint . The report further quotes former chief minister Jagdish Shetter as saying, “Nearly 18 of our workers (BJP/right wing organisations) have been murdered and there are daily attacks on them as well across the state.”

The BJP planned to mobilise 20,000 of its youth workers for the bike rally. Around 1,000 police personnel and one RAF company, with 120 members, have been deployed to ensure that no violence erupts during the rally.

Bengaluru Police on Tuesday refused permission for the rally and imposed prohibitory orders for three days under the Karnataka Police Act. A Deccan Herald report states that apart from Dakshina Kannada, permission has also been denied for the rally in Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada districts coming under the western range.

However, the BJP declared that the rally will be held at any cost. The party alleged that the government was creating a situation of an “undeclared bundh”, with an intention to stop the rally and asked the government not to impede the rally, which is being held democratically.

“It is the ruling party’s responsibility to ensure protection for such rallies. Though party workers had applied for police permission in the jurisdictional stations, they haven’t got the sanction yet. Siddaramaiah is indirectly trying to impose an undeclared emergency on the state,” Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament, Dakshin Kannada was quoted as saying by  The Times of India .

Shettar pointed out that when BJP was in government, it had ensured protection to Congress organised padyatras against the government. “We have asked the home minister to ensure the same,” he added.

Assuring of cooperation in ensuring peace from BJP’s side, Shettar said “in case you are unable to provide protection, or police indulges in high handedness to stop the rally by arresting our workers, it will bring a bad name for the government, which will ultimately be responsible for the consequences.”

The government had earlier asked the BJP not to hold the rally considering the ‘delicate communal situation’ in Dakshin Kannada district. “If the BJP has any concern for the district and respects harmony and brotherhood, it should ask its youth wing to cancel the rally,” food and civil supplies minister UT Khader had said. Siddaramaiah had said that he has no problems with an Opposition rally but the government cannot risk the safety of people.

The rally was scheduled to start from Bengaluru and Hubballi on Tuesday, from Shivamogga, Mysuru and Chikkamagaluru on Wednesday and culminate in Manguluru on 7 September with a massive rally, reported The New Indian Express.

With inputs from PTI