MYSURU: The arrest of former minister and Congress leader DK Shivakumar has taken on a caste colour with the Vokkaligara Sangha throwing its weight behind its leader. While the Congress has staged protests across the state, with many calling for a Kanakapura bandh and resorting to flash protests in Ramanagara district, Vokkaliga community leaders have decided to take to the streets.
The Vokkaligara Sangha also blamed the Income Tax department for the tragic end of Cafe Coffee Day founder VG Siddhartha, who ended his life by jumping into the Nethravati river near Mangaluru. The Congress and JDS are trying to highlight that Shivakumar is a “political victim”, and his arrest is “persecution”. The Sangha is also not happy with the BJP for destabilising the HD Kumaraswamy government and wresting power in the state.
The comments of a few BJP leaders have not gone down well with the Sangha either. However, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s tweet that he was sad that Shivakumar was arrested, and wished that he comes out clean, and Health Minister B Sriramulu’s apology for his comments on Shivakumar during the Bellary Lok Sabha election, somewhat assuaged the Sangha, but the community plans to go ahead with rallies in support of its leaders.
The Mysuru-Chamrajanagara Vokkaligara Sangha and other political leaders have planned a massive rally in the city on September 7. Vokkaligara Sangha district president G Manju said they will take out a massive rally from Kote Anjaneyaswamy temple to the deputy commissioner’s office. He said the community should have registered its protest when Siddhartha had committed suicide, alleging harassment by I-T officers.
He also alleged that I-T and ED officials are working on the directions of the Centre, and also targeting Vokkaliga officers. Disqualified MLA Narayana Gowda, JDS MLAs Suresh Gowda, CS Puttaraju, Sa Ra Mahesh and others also condemned Shivakumar’s arrest.
Rally in KR Nagar
Alleging a political vendetta behind the arrest of DK Shivakumar, the KR Nagar Taluk Vokkaligara Sangha on Thursday took out a rally in Vokkaliga-dominated KR Nagar town in the district. The agitators burnt old tyres, formed human chains and blocked the busy Mysuru-Hassan road, till the rally ended at the municipal office.