Thousands took to the streets in Ballari on Saturday demanding the arrest of MLA for Ballari City G. Somashekara Reddy for his alleged derogatory remarks about the Muslim community and threats he made to anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protesters in the course of a pro-CAA rally here on Friday.
Meanwhile, following a complaint lodged by Vivek P., president of the Cantonment Block Congress Committee, an FIR was registered against Mr. Reddy and Desh Bhakt Nagrik Vedike, the organisation under whose banner the pro-CAA rally was held, by the Gandhinagar police.
They have been booked under Section 153A of Indian Penal Code (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony).
Meanwhile, the massive protest in Ballari was led by, among others by Congress leaders such as Suryanarayan Reddy, Hanuma Kishore, and Anjaneya, and Mr. Reddy’s close associate Ali Khan. They continued to protest demanding Mr. Reddy’s arrest even after Superintendent of Police C.K. Baba rushed to the spot and tried to pacify them by telling them that a complaint had been lodged against him.
Mr. Vivek said though he lodged the complaint on Friday night, the police registered the FIR on Saturday “after pressure mounted from all sides”.
“Ballari is known for peaceful coexistence of Hindus and Muslims. The BJP is dividing the country on religious lines to polarise voters but we will not allow it to succeed,” Mr. Vivek told The Hindu.
Earlier in the day, a Congress delegation led by Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah met the DG&IGP and sought criminal action against Mr. Reddy.
