K'taka: Police lathi charge to quell BJP-Cong clashes

Davanagere, Jan 2: Police resorted to lathi charge to disburse clashing Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress workers at Honnali town about 55 km from here today.

Prohibitory orders under section 144 CRPC were clamped and the situation was stated to be tense but under control. Several people, including BJP legislator Renukacharya and former Legislator and Congress leader Shantana Gowda, were taken into custody.

Several people, including policemen, were injured in stone pelting.

Trouble started when the Congress and BJP workers, accusing each other over poor quality of work on modernisation of Bahdra canal, indulged in stone pelting on each other.

The Injured were admitted to Government Hospital in Honnali.

Additional force was rushed to the village. Superintendent of Police Sonia Narang is camping in the village and supervising bandobust.

It may be recalled here that the Minister for Irrigation K S Eshwarappa, after inspecting the works yesterday, had ordered appointing a separate agency to study in detail the quality of work and stop payment of bill to the contractor for one year.

Congress alleged that the contractors were brothers of legislator Renukacharya and work undertaken were of poor quality.

UNI