Police take labour leaders into preventive custody ahead of PM visit

SHIVAMOGGA: The police have taken more than 20 labour leaders early on Monday, including VISL contract employees’ association president Suresh and secretary Rakesh, into preventive custody in order to prevent any trouble during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.

VISL employees staging a protest outside the plant, on Monday.

The labour leaders had planned to stage a protest during the PM’s visit seeking that Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Ltd be saved from closure, and hold a rally from Bhadravathi to the Sogane airport. Police personnel had been deployed at the VISL plant on Sunday night itself to prevent any trouble.

Karnataka Nirmana Vedike members being taken into preventive custody.

On Monday, the police also took into custody members of the Karnataka Nirmana Vedike who were staging a protest with black flags. They were protesting against the delay in release of compensation to farmers who had given up their land for the airport project and for the families of the victims of the Hunasodi blast. Those taken into custody included Vedike state president G Ramesh Gowda, district president Santosh and others.