The Hindu : Karnataka News : Agitation against Bagalkot `faith-healer' today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 20, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Others

Agitation against Bagalkot `faith-healer' today

By Our Staff Correspondent

BAGALKOT, AUG. 19. Even as the district administration sent back hundreds of patients from the Al-Hira Medical Centre, run by "faith-healer" Aslam Baba, the Bajrang Dal and other organisations clarified that they were going ahead with the "Aslam Baba Hatao'' agitation tomorrow.

This forced the police to call in additional forces as Pramod Muthalik, convenor of the Bajrang Dal for South India, is scheduled to address the gathering after the procession. Organisers of the agitation are not happy with the administration's decision to ban Aslam Baba's activities in Bagalkot sub-division for two months.

They have demanded that he be exiled from the district, and the "illegal" structures constructed by him near the Railway Station be dismantled. They also insisted that the "officials responsible for his growth" be suspended.

Earlier, they had warned that they would demolish the structures if the district administration failed to do so.

Meanwhile, some leaders of the Muslim community sympathised with Aslam Baba. They submitted a memorandum to the district administration demanding that the tomorrow's agitation be withdrawn since Aslam Baba had stopped his activities after the ban was issued.

The police searched the residence and other places owned by Aslam Baba and his close aides for weapons allegedly possessed by him.

Deserted

The "clean-up operation," launched by the district administration at the Al-Hira Medical Centre on Wednesday evening, was completed this morning amidst resistance from some patients and volunteers.

While many left without any opposition, those who had been camping at the centre for past three to four days threatened to launch an agitation against the district administration. The police had to use force to make some patients board the special buses arranged for them.

The Divisional Controller of North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation, Bagalkot, Yellappa K, told The Hindu that as many as 15 special buses were run to cities such as Sholapur, Gadag, Belgaum, and Hubli from where the patients could catch trains to their native places.

The authorities have initiated steps to close down the petty shops and tea-stalls that had come up along the mud road leading to the premises.

Meanwhile, Aslam Baba's followers have decided to oppose the ban order even as he remained incommunicado for the second day today.

Sources said that he was considering the option of challenging the ban order in court. He had already moved to an undisclosed destination with some of his close aides, they said.

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