Police resort to lathicharge to disperse violent agitators

Mangalore, Aug 4 (UNI) Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse DYFI and Communist party activists who indulged in violence in protest against hike in water rates in the city today.

The agitators started pelting stones and damanging window panes of the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) office forcing the police to resort to lathicharge to disperse them.

Mayor Ganesh Hosabettu, addressing a press conference, alleged that the activists of DYFI and Communist party staged protest to malign the BJP.

He alleged that protest was a pre-planned to defame the BJP which captured the power three months back. The activists indulged in breaking the window panes of the Corporation and also pelted stones on the passing vehicles in front of the corporation, he said adding that the activists in the name of protest against the water rate hike were also indulged in atrocities on innocent people and damaging the property of the corporation, he alleged.

Mr Hosabettu clarified that the water rates were hiked by the district administration when the state was under Governor's rule.

Refuting the allegation Mr Hosabettu said that no one had come to submit a memorandum about the water rate hike and the allegation by the activists that the Mayor did not turned up to accept the memorandum was far from truth, he said adding that there was no formality of such kind that a Mayor coming out and accept the memorandum.

The Mayor said that the MCC was trying its best to solve the water hike problem by reducing the prices what was increased during the Administrator period.

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