Nearly 300 Bhratiya Janata Party (BJP) activists led by BJP state president Pralhad Joshi were detained by the police as they tried to hold a dharna in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue between Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha here on Thursday.
Leaders including former chief ministers B.S. Yeddyurappa and Jagadeesh Shettar and former ministers K.S. Eshwarappa, Shobha Karandlaje, Suresh Kumar and others stormed the Vidhana Soudha premises demanding that all “tainted” ministers be dropped from the cabinet, beside a host of other demands.
Tension prevailed on the premises and there was exchange of words between the police and the leaders, as the former refused to allow leaders to hold a dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue. While Ms. Karandlaje, who was successful in reaching the statue, was arrested there, the other leaders were detained as soon as they entered the Vidhana Soudha premises through the East Gate.
Mr. Joshi said that stopping them from holding a peaceful dharna amounted to “curbing the rights of legislators.” He said that they would hold another dharna on December 2 and a rally at Belagavi during legislature session there beginning on December 9.
