The Hindu : Karnataka News : BJP leaders face ire of VHP, Bajrang Dal activists

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 25, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

BJP leaders face ire of VHP, Bajrang Dal activists

By Our Staff Correspondent

BIJAPUR, NOV. 24. Senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party who came here today to attend the wedding of two sons of the Chikkodi MP, Ramesh Jigajinagi, had to face the ire of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists.

Their grouse was that the BJP leaders were not raising their voice against the arrest of the Bajrang Dal, convenor for South India, Pramod Muthalik, who has been in judicial custody since October 21.

Mr. Muthalik, who is facing several cases for making provocative speeches, is lodged at the Central Jail here.

The VHP and Bajrang Dal activists disrupted the press conference addressed by the BJP leader and former Chief Minister, S. Bangarappa, at Inspection Bungalow.

Among those present at the press conference were the local MP and the former Union Minister, Basanagouda R. Patil Yatnal, the Davangere MP, G.M. Siddeshwar, and some MLAs.

Slogans raised

When the press conference was on, some activists barged into the hall and raised slogans against the BJP leaders.

The office-bearers of the VHP, such as Shivarudra Bagalkot and Kashinath Masabinal, accused most of the BJP legislators and MPs as being ungrateful.

Grouse

Though Mr. Muthalik was arrested over a month ago, none of the BJP leaders had either visited him or condemned the Government's action, they charged.

The VHP and Bajrang Dal activists had worked hard for the victory of the BJP in the elections, they claimed.

The General Secretary of the State unit of the party, Mukund Gokhale, tried to pacify them. But the activists said that till the BJP national General Secretary, H.N. Ananth Kumar, and the State BJP President and former Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Jagadish Shettar, who were in Bijapur, spoke to them, they would not allow the leaders to attend the wedding.

Slanging match

This angered Mr. Yatnal who questioned the activists' action. They shouted at Mr. Yatnal and branded him as "anti-Hindu." Charges and counter charges followed and there was chaos for some time.

The atmosphere was charged. Efforts by the local MLA, Appasaheb Pattanashetti, and Mr. Siddeshwar to defuse the situation failed. Mr. Bangarappa cut short his press briefing even as the activists were persuaded to leave the meeting hall.

Later, the activists went to BLDEA Medical College campus, the venue of the wedding. They gheraoed Mr. Ananth Kumar and Mr. Shettar when they came out of the dining hall and raised slogans against them.

The two leaders said they sympathised with the VHP and Bajrang Dal activists and that the latter should not doubt their commitment.

The leaders said that they were making efforts to ensure that Mr. Muthalik was released from jail.

Later, they left for Bangalore along with Mr. Bangarappa.

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