Pandavapura (Mandya dist): Members of the BJP and pro-Hindu organisations staged a protest here, on Monday, against the entry by the police into the RSS office with their boots on, on Sunday.
Former ministers Dr C N Ashwath Narayan and Narayana Gowda joined the protest in front of the Pandavapura police station.
The agitators said the police entered the RSS office to arrest two leaders, with their boots on. “The RSS office is like a temple for us. The police have hurt our sentiments. We demand action against the police personnel who entered the RSS office without removing their shoes,” they said.
On Sunday night, a team of policemen led by DySP Murali tried to arrest Hindu Jagaran leaders Sharan Pumpwell and Puneeth at the RSS office at Bovi colony in the town.
As the volunteers opposed the entry of the police with shoes on, there was commotion for some time.
Ashwath Narayan said, “Ever since the Congress came to power in Karnataka, we are not allowed to raise slogans like ‘Jai Sreeram’ and cannot recite the ‘Hanuman Chalisa’. Hindus are being targeted and attacked. People are not able to celebrate Ganesha Chaturthi peacefully”. Taking to X, state BJP president Vijayendra said that when the vitiated atmosphere caused due to the Nagamangala violence was yet to settle down, the Congress was “adding fuel to the fire.”
“Through the police, Congress is reminding the dark days of emergency. The Hindu society is worried whether we are living in a democracy or under an anti-Hindu government,” he said, and demanded an immediate apology from the state government.