Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 21: The protest organized by Congress workers in front of the residence of state BJP president, B S Yeddyurappa, on Thursday September 20 threatened to go out of hand as there were clear signals about the risk of the war of words turning into physical fight.

Youth Congress workers, who had staged this protest against the alleged 'Operation Lotus' planned by Yeddyurappa to topple the state government, tried to enter the leader's residence. The BJP workers, who were present, opposed the move. At that time, MLAs, Renukacharya and S R Vishwanath, who were inside, came out, and took the Congress workers to task for their highhandedness. The Congress workers were flashing flags of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.

The workers then surged ahead, pushing aside the barricades set by the police personnel. They also pulled and pushed Renukacharya. At that time, strong words were exchanged between the two sides. The police, who apprehended that the situation might go out of control, intervened and established a semblance of order at the spot.

Even then, the Congress workers continued to be entrenched there and raised slogans against BJP and its state president. They blamed Yeddyurappa for trying to execute Operation Kamala for destabilizing the government. When the workers tried to aggressively move ahead, S R Vishwanath pushed them back, asking them not to forget that Yeddyurappa is a former chief minister. "You have completed your shouting regimen. You can go now," he quipped.

With the help of police, BJP leaders succeeded in pushing Congress workers about a hundred metres away from, Yeddyurappa's house. Later, several workers including women went away. Saleem, Janardhan, Manohar and about 15 other workers who led the protest were taken into custody by the police and released later. Thereafter, the policemen erected barricades on the road leading to Yeddyurappa's residence as a precautionary measure.