BELAGAVI: Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde was greeted with black flags by a large number of Dalits as he entered this border city to participate in a party event on Monday.
A large number of members of Dalit organisations staged a protest wearing black bands in Gokak too when Mr Hegde went to attend a party function. Before the situation turned tense, police officers arrested the leaders and activists in both Belagavi and Gokak, and ensured his participation in the events.
As hundreds of activists rushed towards the vehicle of Mr Hegde when he reached Kannada Sahitya Bhavan in Belagavi, the police had a tough time in controlling the protesters. However, a large police force managed to arrest all of them and took them away in a bus to the police station.
A heavy police deployment was later put in place at the venue to maintain peace and order.
Dharna: At Basaveshwar Circle in Gokak, hundreds of leaders and workers from various dalit organisations staged a dharna wearing black bands on their foreheads in protest against Mr Hegde's recent statement on amending the Constitution.
Demanding his resignation from the minister’s post, the protesters said that he insulted members of Dalit community with such statements.
The Union government should initiate action against him as he was unfit to continue as minister in the Union cabinet as he allegedly used unparliamentary language against secular population in order to promote caste system in the country.
The Union government could not afford to identify any religion as national religion as it brought disrepute to the secular credentials of the Constitution, said the protesters even as they urged the police department to file a case against the minister to ensure justice to them.
