RHS activists arrested for black flag demonstration

Nargund, Karnataka, July 21 (UNI) Police arrested over 40 black flag demonstrators of the Rashtriya Hindu Sena (RHS), who attempted to stop political leaders from garlanding the memorials of 'martyred farmers' here and at Navalgund on the 26th anniversary of the 'Nargund-Navalgund farmers mutiny' today.

The arrested included RHS Founder-President Pramod Mutalik.

Leaders belonging to different parties, including former Minister B R Yavagal, MLA, Dr C C Patil, MLA, Mr Basavaraj Bommai, MLC, and Mr Prahlad Joshi, MP, garlanded the memorials at Navalgund and Alagawadi. The activists of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (Puttannaiah group) held a massive farmer's rally here after taking out processions through Navalgund and Nargund towns.

Navalgund town observed total bandh in memory of the deceased farmers and Nargund town partial bandh.

Two farmers had been killed in a police firing while suppressing a massive agitation by the ryots of both taluks against the then Gundu Rao Government. The incident had led to the formation of farmers associations in Karnataka.

While most of the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders vowed to pressurise the Government to take up the Kalasa-Bandori project, which would cater to the drinking water needs of both towns as well as the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad, Mr Bommai (Janata Dal-United) announced the second phase of agitation for the project by Kalasa Bandori Farmers Associations Federation after July 25.

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