BELAGAVI: A day after a massive protest by members of the Panchamasali community turned violent here, with the police needing to lathicharge the protesters, Basavajaya Mrityunjaya Swami of the Panchamasali Peetha, Kudalsangama, alleged that the government resorted to the said action during their agitation in order to exact revenge.
“If there was no order from the chief minister for a lathicharge, then he should demand resignations from the police officers who ordered the action,” the seer said.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the seer said, “We have been carrying out our struggle for ‘2A’ quota since the past four years in a peaceful manner and have never entertained violence. There was no pressure or harassment with our protest that was held in 12 districts.
But there was no response from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Therefore, we had tried to put pressure on the government by holding a tractor rally during the winter session in Belagavi. But as per the court’s conditions, we carried out a peaceful protest at a designated place and wanted to meet the CM. However, the government sent three ministers to listen to our demands.
The ADGP said that the CM won’t come to the protest place, and we decided to move to a place where the CM would be available, Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. When we tried to move, the police started caning us, to exact revenge. They attacked agitators and advocates,” he said.
“None of the previous CMs have made such an attack on agitators. There was no need for the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to target Lingayats in such a way.
We have to take a different path if this government starts targeting our community’s MLAs and refuse to give us reservation. This government has earned a bad name by attacking the community.
The attack was planned. The police department has now booked some of our activists,” he alleged, appealing to the leaders of the community to register a case against the ADGP and other police officers, who resorted to the lathicharge, instead of trying to speak to the agitators.
The seer further called upon community leaders to organise protests to condemn the attack in every district and taluk centres this month.
“I will stage a dharna at Hirebagewadi and Hattargi Toll Plaza. Our protest will not stop at any cost, and will continue in a legitimate way. It will be intensified from now on. This government is making all-out efforts to suppress the Lingayat movement,” he added.