Daijiworld Media Network - Kalaburagi (SP)

Kalaburagi, Oct 31: Siddalinga Mahaswami, who is the spiritual head of Karuneshwara Math at Andola in the district and state honorary president of Sri Ram Sene, was arrested by policemen on the night of Monday October 30. He faces the charge of delivering inflammatory address during the procession taken out in Jewargi village on the occasion of Ganesha Chaturthi.

On this occasion, disturbances were experienced. Two police constbales suffered serious injuries during these incidents.

Andola Swamiji had gone underground because of the perceived threat of arrest. After the police department got information that the Swamiji had returned to the Math on Monday evening, district superintendent of police, Shashikumar, led a team of police officials to Andola village where the Swamiji was taken into custody.

When the Swamiji was being led to the police station in a private vehicle, stones were pelted. Two police constables were injured in these incidents. They were initially treated at the government hospital at Jewargi and then brought to the town for further treatment. Near Kellur Cross, stones were thrown at police party accompanying the Swamiji, prompting the police to resort to light lathi large.

As soon as the news of arrest spread, devotees held protests at Andona, Kellur, Kellur Cross, and Jewargi town. Shops and establishments downed their shutters, and the town looked like observing undeclared bandh.

Reacting to the arrest, M S Patil Naribol, who is close to the Swamiji, recollected that people of two communities had clashed during the eviction of a shop. He said that one of the communities had filed police complaint. He felt that the Swamiji was arrested as part of political conspiracy because the arrest has been affected although the complainants had not named the Swamiji. "The Swamiji does not face any case. He has been unnecessarily accused of delivering inflammatory address. When state home minister, Ramalinga Reddy visited the district recently, Congress leaders and some minority leaders had met him and brought pressure on him to arrest the Swamiji," devotees of the Math say.