Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur
Kundapur, Dec 4: Gangolli came to a complete halt on Thursday December 4 as several pro-Hindu organizations held a massive protest against the arrest of two persons, including an HJV leader, in connection to the Jamilya complex fire of last Friday.
The rally which consisted of huge crowd of more than 10,000 people including a significant number of women picketed the Gangolli police station demanding the release of the arrested persons. They said that the arrested persons were innocents in the case. The rally covered the whole town of Gangolli and reached the police station situated at Gujjadi.
The police on Wednesday December 3, had arrested two persons who were observing Ayyappa pilgrimage vows, that included HJV leader Vasu Devadiga.
People from many places of the taluk and elsewhere participated in the protest. The protesters demanded the immediate release of Vasu and Sidhu who were arrested by the team led by ASP Annamalai. The protesters gatecrached into the police station premises by throwing away the barricades that had been put up to keep the people away. The police had to struggle to pacify and control the crowd.
Stones were pelted and shops belonging to different communities were damaged during the rally. Most of the shops shut down and buses were off the roads.
When the rally reached Trasi circle, the traffic on the national highway was completely stopped. The traffic came to standstill for more than 4 hours for the first time in history.
When the situation turned uncontrollable, the police officers assured the release of the arrested persons. But the protesters demanded their immediate release with an apology from ASP Annamalai.
Gangolli town was closed throughout the day. Tensed moments presently are observed without any hope as the town has become very sensitive after the fire at Jamiya complex.
The BJP leaders supported the rally and the protest. They said the innocents should not be arrested and harassed. They asked for the restoration of peace with the release of the arrested.
BJP district president Thingale Vikramarjuna Hegde, MLC Kota Srinivasa Poojary, former MLA Laxminarayana, Byndoor BJP president B M Sukumar Shetty, Rajesh Kaveri, Yuva Morcha leader Raghavendra and Bhaskar Billava were present among others in the rally.