Over 100 BJP legislators, MPs and workers, including national leader M Venkaiah Naidu and state BJP president KS Eshwarppa were detained while marching to Raj Bhavan, demanding the recall of governor HR Bhardwaj.
The ruling BJP intensified its fight against governor HR Bhardwaj by launching the Raj Bhavan Chalo agitation on Tuesday.
Over 100 BJP legislators, MPs and workers, including national leader M Venkaiah Naidu and state BJP president KS Eshwarppa were detained while marching to Raj Bhavan, demanding the recall of governor HR Bhardwaj.
BJP workers staged a protest in front of Raj Bhavan. The Raj Bhavan Chalo march was organised by the BJP to protest Bhardwaj’s decision to sanction prosecution of chief minister BS Yeddyurappa over corruption charges.
The Raj Bhavan Chalo protest ended within 10 minutes. At 11 am, BJP legislators, emerging from a legislature party meeting, hit the road from GPO Circle, about 100 yards from Raj Bhavan.
Police swung into action and arrested all them. Policemen outnumbered protesters. Over 120 BJP workers were arrested, including 67 MLAs, 23 MLCs and 8 MPs. They were later released.
The marchers carried placards and shouted slogans, as they walked from the hotel where they had held their meeting, to the Raj Bhavan. They had earlier decided that rallies would be held across the state.
‘Call back the governor,’ the protesters shouted, and ‘We don’t want Sonia agent HR Bhardwaj,’ ‘Down, down, HR Bhardwaj!’
The protesters took a pledge saying that the fight would continue until the governor is recalled.
“Bhardwaj is acting like a Congress agent. Our battle against him will not stop because of arrests like these,” the protestors said.
‘This is a Congress ploy to come to power’
At the BJP legislature party meeting held ahead of the march to Raj Bhavan, BJP national leader M Venkaiah Naidu said that the Congress was eyeing power in the state.
“The Congress has used governor HR Bhardwaj to adopt a three-pronged strategy: divert the nation’s attention from the massive corruption in the 2G spectrum scam, embarrass the BJP government in the state, destablise the government by using the governor and emerge in a position of power,” Naidu said, adding that the BJP would foil the attempts of the Congress not only in the state, but also at the Centre.
Terming the act of the governor as a fraud on the Constitution, Naidu sought to know from Union ministers P Chidambaram and M Veerappa Moily whether they would prosecute SM Krishna, N Dharam Singh and HD Kumaraswamy, all of whom had also denotified lands during their tenure as chief minister of Karnataka.
Protests at Hubli, Belgaum
State BJP president KS Eshwarppa announced that protests against the governor’s attitude would be held in different parts of the state. On February 2, a movement will be held in Hubli; on February 5, protests would be held in Belgaum, and on February 7, another protest will occur in Bangalore.
Eshwarappa announced that February 20 would mark the completion of 1,000 days of the BJP government. A massive rally is planned at Palace Grounds to mark the occasion, and national president of the BJP, Nitin Gadkari, would address the rally and interact with party workers.
Also, the national executive meeting of the BJP will be held at Nagpur from February 8. All BJP MLAs from the state would attend that meeting. A special session at that meet would discuss the issue of the Karnataka governor, Eshwarappa said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}