Udupi: Oscar Fernandes Tries to Persuade Lawyers to Call Off Protest
News and Pics from Hemanath Padubidri
For Daijiworld Media Network—Udupi (RD/CN)
Udupi, Aug 17: The agitation by city lawyers was in its seventh day on Sunday, August 17, which is also the third day of their relay hunger strike. The lawyers are protesting against the state administration, seeking justice for the assault on their colleagues by personnel of the anti–naxal force (ANF) at Srimane Falls, Sringeri, on Saturday, August 9.
The agitating lawyers had a verbal feud with municipal officers who arrived at the court premises, the venue of the protest on Sunday, to remove the banners put up by the protestors. However, the situation calmed down after Mattar Ratnakar Hegde, president, district bar association, and senior police officers arrived on the spot.
Oscar Fernandes, union minister of state for labour and employment, and Raghupathy Bhat, MLA, visited the lawyers and offered assurances of quick action, asking them to give up their strike. However, the agitating lawyers refused to call off their protest until they got the copies of the suspension letters of the guilty.
Sunil Mathew, one among the agitating lawyers on relay hunger strike, was admitted to Hi – Tech Hospital, Sunday evening, after complaining of exhaustion.