The valedictory ceremony of the Sahitya Sambhrama literary conference witnessed unruly scenes as a handful of BJP Yuva Morcha members thronged the main stage and tried to disrupt the programme here on Sunday.
This incident took place when Krishnamurthy Hanur was delivering the valedictory address. According to sources, the protesters barged onto the main stage and ransacked tables, podium, chairs and the mike set.
They also shouted slogans against scholar Shiv Visvanathan and demanded an apology from him for his alleged derogatory remarks against the Indian Army.
The audience panicked as they witnessed this scene. However, the police who were deployed at the venue rushed and overpowered the protesters before sending them out.
Some writers, who were peeved at this, shouted “cultural goondaism should be ended”. The audience asked the organisers not to entertain such acts but continue the valedictory programme and accordingly, Krishnamurthy Hanur continued his speech.
District BJP Yuva Morcha president and advocate Sharanu Angadi said that he would file cases against Mr. Visvanathan and another participant in the literary conference Lakshman Gaikwad for what he said their derogatory speeches.
Earlier in the day, some ex-servicemen staged a protest against the remarks of Mr. Visvanathan against Indian Army personnel. A group of ex-servicemen gheraoed Dharwad Sahitya Sambhrama Trust president Raghavendra Patil at the venue and sought an apology from the speaker for his remarks. When Mr. Patil informed them that the speaker had already left, the protesters said that they should be allowed to express their views to the audience.
The organisers tried to pacify them saying that one of them would be allowed to express their reaction to the remarks at the valedictory function.
When the protesters refused to relent, one of them was allowed to speak at the auditorium. Reading out a memorandum addressed to the Deputy Commissioner and other authorities concerned, the ex-servicemen strongly condemned Mr. Visvanathan’s remarks and demanded that legal action should be taken against the scholar for what they said his derogatory remarks.
In the afternoon, Air Commodore (retd.) C.S. Havaldar addressing ex-servicemen outside the venue, strongly condemned Mr. Visvanathan's remarks and said that it was intentional on part of the professor to insult Indian soldiers.
