Former minister V Sunil Kumar stages a protest outside the Sadashivanagar police station in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Bengaluru: Intensifying its fight against the ruling Congress, the Opposition BJP on Thursday launched a statewide agitation - ‘Nanu Karasevaka, Arrest Madi Nanna’ (I am also a karsevak, arrest me too) campaign in support of the Hubballi karsevak who was arrested with regard to a 1992 case.
Former minister V Sunil Kumar was detained when he picketed outside the Sadashivanagar police station.
Speaking to reporters at the party’s state headquarters here, Kumar said for Congress, those who plant bombs were innocents, those attacking police stations were like their brothers, while Ram Bhakts were criminals.
“Thousands of Ram Bhakts had taken part in the mandir movement between 1990 and 1992 in the state. Then too, the Congress had opposed this movement, but undeterred Ram Bhakts had taken part in the movement,” he said.
The Congress is trying to instil fear among Hindus by reopening cases, but Ram Bhakts will not be cowed down, the former minister said.
“BJP is committed to Lord Ram and to protect Ram mandir. The Congress has always believed in appeasement politics,” he said.
Later, Kumar alone held a protest in front of the Sadashivanagar police station, holding the placard ‘Nannannu Bandhisi’ and raising the slogan ‘Jai Sri Ram’.
He claimed that he was involved in over 27 cases, including those related to Ram mandir movement.
“As a politician, I have 27 cases against me, will that make me a criminal?,” he said.
BJP general secretary P Rajeev said the Congress had a habit of patronising anti-nationals.
“Apart from calling the suspects in the Mangaluru cooker blast case their brothers, the Congress had withdrawn cases against activists of the banned outfit People’s Front of India (PFI),” Rajeev said.
He said the Congress government was trying to intimidate Hindus by reopening cases against karsevaks.
“The Congress is trying to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in order to hide its folly of not releasing funds to constituencies of MLAs,” Rajeev said.
A police officer from the Sadashivanagar police station said that Sunil Kumar was taken into preventive custody for around two hours on Thursday before being released.