Panchamasali protesters lathicharged during bid to lay siege to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha

BELAGAVI: Police resorted to lathicharge after members of the Panchamasali community, who are demanding reservation under the 2A category, broke barricades and attempted to lay siege to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha where the winter session of the state legislature is on. At least one of the protesters was seriously injured in the incident.

Trouble started when the protesters started hurling footwear at the police and indulged in stone-pelting.

After holding a massive meeting at Kondasakoppa, the protesters marched towards the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha. When they were stopped by the police, suddenly, the protesters started hurling footwear at the police and blocked the national highway. They even pelted stones, damaging some police and private vehicles. When the situation was getting out of hand, ADGP (law and order) Hitendra ordered the police to lathicharge the protesters.

When Lingayat seer Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami, who is spearheading the 2A reservation agitation, arrived near the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, the police did not allow him to disembark from his vehicle and took his towards Belagavi. They also took several of the protesters, including some lawyers and BJP leader Aravind Belland, into preventive custody.

Soon, the protesters, who had dispersed, started converging again near the highway. The police had a tough time controlling the crowd and clearing the highway for traffic.

Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal), who took part in the protest, said the Siddaramaiah government was committing atrocities on the Panchamasali community. “The government has declared and Emergency and has resorted to lathicharging our community members”, he said and raised slogans against the Siddaramaiah government.