Daijiworld Media Network-Dharwad (RJP)
Dharwad, Feb 14: Police arrested BJP state president and Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi and former chief minister Jagadish Shettar with some other BJP workers for reportedly creating a ruckus near the deputy commissioner’s office here on Saturday, February 13.
The drama started when the BJP workers tried to picket the deputy commissioner’s office expressing anger at the district administration over the late night arrest of a BJP zilla panchayat election contestant. As the police tried to prevent the agitators from entering the DC office, a miscreant reportedly threw a stone on the police van parked outside the office. Some witnesses said that a stone also hit Joshi.
When there was a chaos, the police took note of the situation and upon orders from the district election officer, arrested more than 25 BJP workers which included Joshi and Shettar. BJP workers raised slogans condemning the arrests of their leaders. They accused the police and district administration of siding with the state government. The arrested were taken to the town police station and released later.
Earlier on Friday night, deputy commissioner Rajendra Cholan had directed sub-inspector S S Kamatagi to check whether there was any violation of model code of conduct when BJP candidate from Hebballi ZP constituency Yogishgouda Goudar was holding a late night meeting at Amminbhavi. Police said that Goudar misbehaved with the SI and tried to assault him. The police arrested Goudar on charges of misbehaving with the police personnel and also for violation of the code.
The arrest of Yogishgouda Goudar prompted the BJP leaders and workers to picket the deputy commissioner's office on Saturday alleging that the officials had snatched the voting right of their candidate and he was arrested on false charges.
Prahlad Joshi said that Goudar, along with his supporters, had gone to Amminbhavi following news that Congress party was distributing money to woo the voters. As Goudar raised an alarm against election malpractice by the Congress, district in-charge minister Vinay Kulkarni directed the officials to arrest him.
Reacting to the incident, Cholan said Goudar was arrested on charges of violation of the election code of conduct and a case had been registered against him under IPC Section 353. The BJP could have fought it in the court, but holding the district administration responsible was unfair, he said.
Meanwhile Kulkarni has denied his involvement in the arrest of the BJP candidate.