Heavy police deployment does not deter protesters from agitating
ENARADA, Hubli, August 21, 2013:
Photos and Report by KIRAN BAKALE:
As the public agitation, ‘Save Public Ground’ getting intense, protesters are upset with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), for the alleged double standards it is exhibiting.
It can be recalled that general public in the leadership of veteran journalist and social activist PaPu (Patil Puttappa) are agitating against the alleged land grab by BJP leaders.
Protesters are claiming that RSS which boasts of Patriotism is deliberately closing its eyes over a Public Ground issue and not joining the movement. By not supporting the genuine cause it is leaving an impression that it is indirectly supporting BJP leaders who are trying to grab the public property to build a recreation club where Spa, Bar and Gambling goes unabated, they lamented.
While almost all the organisations in Hubli have expressed their direct or indirect support for the agitation, protesters feel that RSS support is very much needed to take the agitation to a logical end.
“Most worrying fact is we (people of Hubli) have never anticipated the move by BJP leaders who are restricting public from entering our own Sports Grounds” said Pa Pu.
According to protesters, BJP leaders including Ananthkumar,ex CM Jagadish Shettar, BJP State Unit president Prahlad Joshi and others are working behind the scene to start a recreation club by making their relatives as the trustees for the club.
Today, protesters went ahead with their plan and took out a peaceful march up to the residence of Jagadish Shettar despite a heavy bundhobast by Police.
Jagadish Shettar met the agitators for a while and said that rules are not bent while getting public land allotted to a recreation club. Later speaking to journalists Shettar said that it is the handiwork of his political opponents to defame him.
