Karnataka - Bellary   

Activists stage dharna against Telugu banners

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY, AUG. 24. Several Kannada activists, under the banner of the local Kannada Kranti Dal, on Tuesday courted arrest demanding that banners written in Telugu language be removed.

The Bellary Khamma Sangha, in connection with a function to be held here on Wednesday, has put up welcome arches and banners in Telugu on the roads near the Gadagi Chennappa Circle.

Dharna

The activists, who staged a dharna at the circle in protest against the arches and banners, demanded that the banners be removed, as they were not written in Kannada.

It is usual for organisers of community functions to put up welcome arches and banners in public places.

But this is the first time that there has been a protest against such arches and banners.

Memorandum

The activists submitted a memorandum to the Municipal President urging him to get the banners removed. They courted arrest as the police requested them to end their dharna saying that it was obstructing traffic.

Objection

Meanwhile, members of the Khamma Sangha raised objections when the Municipal authorities reportedly removed a banner.

They sought to know how it could be done when permission to put up the arches had been obtained and asked the authorities to put up the banner again.

The Municipal Commissioner, Govind Reddy, told the Municipal President, Somashekar Reddy, that he had consulted the Headquarters Assistant to Deputy Commissioner in the matter and the latter had said that it was a private function and action need not be taken.

Mr. Somashekar Reddy told presspersons that the banner was removed following a protest.

He said one of the conditions imposed while granting the permission to put up welcome arches was that it would be removed if there were any objections.

The Municipal President said the Municipal Council would soon decide not to permit putting up of welcome arches and banners written in languages other than Kannada.

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