From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Dec 5: Even as the opposition BJP, the principal opposition party in both houses of the Karnataka legislature, has announced plans to lay siege to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi by mobilising a massive crowd of over 50,000 supporters during the opening day of the ensuing winter session starting from December 9, the Siddaramaiah regime is fully geared to meet the challenge and thwart the protesters.
The Congress government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has decided to act tough and brave the opposition onslaught during the Belagavi legislature session.
Karnataka’s Home Minister sought to send a strong message against any moves to disrupt peace during the legislature session and indicated that police top brass and the district administration have been given clear instructions to sternly deal with those who try to take law into their hands.
The Home Minister dropped clear hints of taking tough action including taking the protesting leaders into preventive custody, if necessary.
While it has been usual practice to impose prohibitory orders upto 2km around Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru during almost all legislature sessions, George indicated that the extent of prohibitory orders around Suvarna Vidhana Soudha during the Belagavi session would be extended over a much wider area to ensure that the BJP''s planned siege would not have any impact on the session.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Thursday, George appealed to the BJP leaders, who have planned to mobilise over 50,000 farmers, women and party workers to lay siege to Suvarna Soudha to give up their protest plans and raise their issues within the legislature to find a constructive solution for all problems.
The BJP leaders have sought to voice their protests against failure of sugar factories to clear the dues for cane growers and also the State Government’s utter failure in preventing sexual assaults on women and children in the State.
The Home Minister accused the BJP leaders of shying away from their democratic duty of participating in the debates on issues of public importance in the session and trying to extract political mileage by inciting the people to take to violence.