As many as 70 Congress party workers who tried to wave black flags at BJP leaders during the public conventions held as part of the party’s Jana Parivarthana Yatra in Sagar and Shivamogga were arrested on Thursday.
At Sagar, when BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa and other leaders were heading towards Gandhi Maidan, where the convention was to be held, a group of Congress workers led by Mallikarjuna Hakre, president of the Sagar Taluk Panchayat, tried to wave black flags at them, condemning the statements issued by Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde on secularism and “changing the Constitution”.
In Shivamogga city, the Youth Congress had announced plans to stage a black flag demonstration at the National Education Society ground, where the convention was to be held. Their protest was over the alleged efforts by BJP leaders to politicise the Mahadayi river water-sharing dispute. When the protesters arrived at Mahaveer Circle, they were arrested.
All the arrested were released later. Cases under Section 71 of the Karnataka Police Act, 1963 were booked against them.
