Valmiki community members stage protest over removal of banners in Ballari

BALLARI: Members of the Valmiki community in Ballari staged a protest by blocking the road at Sangam Circle to condemn the removal of banners put up for Valmiki Jayanti.

The banners were installed across the city after obtaining permission from the city corporation, but all of a sudden, the banners removed from 38 locations across the city. Community leaders accused officials of removing the banners on the instructions of MLA Bharat Reddy and demanded the immediate suspension of the officials involved.

Corporation commissioner Manjunath and police superintendent Shobha Rani visited the scene to calm the situation, but the protesters decided to boycott the government-organized Valmiki Jayanti and hold a separate celebration. They also demanded the immediate reinstallation of the removed banners

Mallaiah, a community leader, “The corporation has taken down all our banners and this is an insult to our community. A corporation official claimed that it was removed at the behest of MLA Nara Bharat Reddy. We will boycott the government programme”.

“We informed the corporation and had put up the banners in such a manner that it does not affects anyone. The MLA had violated rules by putting huge cutouts of himself for his birthday, but we didn’t object to it. We demand that the banners be reinstalled and the official responsible be suspended. We will celebrate Valmiki Jayanthi on our own”, said Thimmappa Joladarashi, a lawyer and community leader.