The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday staged a protest in front of the residence of D.K. Suresh, MP, who recently said that the southern States could seek a separate country over the injustice meted out in allocation of funds.
While some of the BJP workers, who barged into the residence of Mr. Suresh were taken into custody by the police, others were dispersed by the police who resorted to caning. The BJP workers, who tried to move towards Mr. Suresh’s residence from Palace Grounds, took the police by surprise after some of them managed to get inside the compound.
The protest that was organised by the BJP Yuva Morcha saw protesters raising slogans against Mr. Suresh for speaking about a separate country for southern States.
Former BJP legislator and party general secretary P. Rajeev condemned the police action against the protesters. He said that while those who speak against the Constitution and about dividing the country are safe, those who are opposed to the divisive statements are attacked by the police.
Stating that the BJP would not tolerate any statement that is against the country, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra said that the police have brutally attacked BJP workers who were protesting against Mr. Suresh. He said that the BJP workers were injured in the brutal lathi-charge. “This is the Congress government-sponsored goondaism. The BJP will not tolerate anyone who speaks against the sovereignty of the country. The fight against such people, how much ever strong they are, will not stop till they apologise,” he said in a post on social media platform X.
Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok urged Home Minister G. Parameshwara to take action against those involved in the lathi-charge, and said that it has proved that government is running a ‘goonda raj’. He asked: “(Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah, is this what it means to be the devotee of Gandhi and Rama?”
Meanwhile, Mr. Suresh told presspersons here that the BJP was trying to protest against something that he had not said. “I have never said that the country has to be divided. I am clear in what I have said. I have raised the issue about discrimination in fund allocation between States.” On the issue of BJP protest, he said: “Everybody has the right to speak and protest in democracy. I welcome it. The BJP is trying to politicise the issue by twisting my statements and sending a different message for electoral gains.”
