A month after holding a protest against the proposed Jesus statue at Kapalabetta near Kanakapura of Ramanagaram district, hundreds of volunteers of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) took out a march (patha sanchalana) in Ramanagaram town of the district on Sunday.
They had to face a ‘Go Back RSS’ protest by Dalits as the location from where the march commenced has the presence of the Dalit community. The march began from Balageri and Kempe Gowda Circle in Ramanagaram town and concluded at the district stadium after passing through Mahatma Gandhi Road, Balageri, Magadi Road and Junior College.
RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, while addressing the gathering at the stadium, said that the Hindu Samaja will not allow the district [Ramanagaram] to becoming a land for converting Hindus to other religions. Strongly opposing the proposed Jesus statue at Kapalabetta, the RSS leader said that the Hindus would not rest until they built a Muneeshwara temple on the hillock.
Mr. Bhat criticised former Congress Minister D. K. Shivakumar for helping in the installation of the Jesus statue at Kapalabetta and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing in the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
Meanwhile Dalits staged protests at Balageri and outside the office of Superintendent of Police in Ramanagaram. They also submitted a memorandum to Ramanagaram SP Anup Shetty for taking out a march in the town.