Scores of Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar and others, were prevented from taking out a rally to Raj Bhavan. They were detained by the police at Balekundri Circle, and bundled into buses.
The Congress leaders were taking out a rally to submit a memorandum to the Governor to be forwarded to President Ram Nath Kovind against Operation Lotus of the BJP. According to Mr. Shivakumar, the Governor had given them an appointment at 4 p.m. However, police personnel prevented the rally from proceeding at Balekundri Circle. The Congress leaders and party workers sat in an impromptu protest at the circle, protesting against the ‘high-handedness of the government’.
Addressing reporters, Mr. Siddaramiah said the BJP was making attempts to dismantle non-BJP governments in various States. “The BJP did that here in Karnataka. They did it in Madhya Pradesh and are trying the same thing in Rajasthan,” he charged. He also said Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra should have given a chance to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to prove majority.
“Instead, he has become a puppet of the Narendra Modi-led government. The Cabinet had already decided to prove its majority on the floor of the Assembly. He does not have the moral right to continue in that post,” he said.
Meanwhile, Minister for Medical Education K. Sudhakar tweeted that the Congress leaders and party workers had thrown to wind all precautions mandated to check the spread of COVID-19, especially maintaining social distance, during the protest.
