IIT: agitators lay siege to district post office in Raichur

The agitation seeking establishment of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Raichur intensified on Monday with hundreds of people storming the head post office and disrupting its functioning.

The agitators came to the office in a procession and stormed into it raising slogans against Union government and State BJP leaders. They forced the employees to stop work. They compelled the employees to go out and then locked the office. The agitators were led by IIT Horata Samithi president Basavaraj Kalasa, Congress leader Ravindra, labourers' leader K.G. Veeresh and leaders of various Kannada organisations.

Artistes join protests

Earlier, artistes who had arrived from different parts the district joined the agitation at Ambedkar Circle. While the activists of various organisations formed a human chain and blocked the all major roads, the artistes staged skits and sang songs. Traffic movement was disrupted for over an hour in the city due to multiple agitations.

On the other hand, the serial hunger strike in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the district stadium entered the 15th day. Raichur Zilla Panchayat president Sarojamma Basavaraj, vice-president Jafar Ali Patel and others fasted on the day. IIT Horata Samithi president warned that the agitations would not only continue but also expand to other parts of the Hyderabad Karnataka region if the Union government ignored the demand.

The Slum Dwellers Association, Construction Workers Association, Raichur District Artists' Association, Kannada organisations and dalit groups participated in the agitation.