MADIKERI: Kushalnagar in Kodagu witnessed massive protests on Saturday, led by senior BJP leaders demanding that an FIR be registered against two sitting Congress MLAs. Their names were mentioned in the death note of BJP worker Vinay Somaiah, who died by suicide in Bengaluru on Friday.
Hundreds of BJP workers, along with state BJP president and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Wadiyar, and former MP Prathap Simha, gathered in front of the Kushalnagar Community Health Centre and staged a dharna.
The body of Vinay Somaiah was brought to Kushalnagar in an ambulance, and the protest was held on Kudige-Kushalnagar Road in front of the Community Health Centre and Kushalnagar Police Station.
The protesters demanded that an FIR be filed against Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna, who is also the Chief Minister’s legal advisor, and Madikeri MLA Dr Mantar Gowda.
“Police cannot take away the rights of a citizen. Vinay Somaiah was an active worker of BJP. We will not budge from the spot until the names of the MLAs are mentioned in the FIR,” said Vijayendra. He warned that the state government would be responsible if protestors were forced to take extreme steps.
“We will wait here for one hour and protest peacefully until an FIR has been filed against the Congress MLAs. Police must not fall prey to political pressure. Aren’t BJP workers humans?” he questioned.
He further alleged that the Congress-led state government was imposing a “Tughlaq Rule”. “A citizen is criminalised for questioning the administrative failures; isn’t this Tughlaq Rule?” he remarked, citing the suicide case of Gulbarga police officer Parashurama.
He added, “We all know what has happened in the suicide cases of contractor Sachin Panchala and government officer Chandrashekar. This must not be repeated in Vinay’s case.”
Vijayendra also urged the Bengaluru police to seek permission from the magistrate to register FIRs against MLAs Ponnanna and Mantar Gowda. “Police stations across the state are being converted to Congress offices.
Due to the pressure from the MLAs, our worker has died by suicide. Highlighting the administration failures is being criminalised. Despite stay orders, our workers were exploited by the police,” he alleged.
The protest intensified during the shifting of Vinay’s body to his native place in Gonimaruru. Police made preventive arrests, taking Vijayendra, Yaduveer Wadiyar, Prathap Simha, former MLA K.G. Bopaiah, and others into custody. They were later released. The leaders later visited Vinay’s residence in Gonimaruru and participated in the final rites.
As a precautionary measure, the Superintendents of Police from Mysuru and Mandya were stationed in Kushalnagar, along with the Kodagu Police. Five KSRP troops, DCP Crime Mysuru, four District Armed Reserve forces, and over 400 civil police personnel were deployed during the protest.