Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

ABVP activists held; protest plan foiled

Staff Correspondent

They were not allowed to proceed to Shettar's house where they had planned a protest

QUELLING AGITATION: ABVP activists being prevented by the police from going ahead with their plan to stage a protest in front of the residence of Primary and Secondary Eduaction Minister Basavraj Horatti in Hubli on Wednesday.

HUBLI: As many as 22 activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were arrested here on Wednesday when they were marching towards the house of Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti for staging a protest.

The protest was against the "negligence" of the Minister and the officials of the Education Department on keeping a tab on colleges "fleecing" students.

Earlier, the activists staged a dharna for about more than an hour in front of Oxford College on Bijapur Road. Mr. Horatti's son Vasant is the director and honorary secretary of Vishwashanti Foundation that runs Oxford College.

They alleged that the Minister had failed to take action against colleges charging high fees from students.

The college run by his son was also charging high fees for the PU course, they alleged.

Leaders of the ABVP had announced on Tuesday that they would stage a dharna in front of Mr. Horatti's residence. When they tried to march towards the Minister's house on Wednesday, the police stopped them and asked them not to go ahead with their plan.

When the ABVP activists said they would not change their programme, they were arrested.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) said that the ABVP activists had been arrested as a precautionary measure. On Monday, the protest by the ABVP activists in front of Chetana College had ended in stone throwing and arrests.

However, the ABVP activists continued their dharna after they were taken to the CAR Grounds on Karwar Road on being arrested.

They said they would continue the agitation till there was a positive response from the Government.

District-in-charge Minister Jagadish Shettar spoke to the protesters over phone and assured them that the issue would be taken up with the Chief Minister immediately.

Following the assurance, the protesters withdrew the agitation. They were released by the police in the evening.

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