Bommai warns \'decisive action\' against miscreants who disturb peace in Belagavi

Belagavi: Amid tension over the defacing of the statue of 19th century warrior Sangolli Rayanna here, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said "decisive action" would be taken against miscreants who disturb law and order in the state.

"We will initiate stringent action against those disturbing law and order in the state. This time decisive action will be taken so that the miscreants do not continue their activities," Bommai told reporters.

Replying to a query on miscreants defacing Sangolli Rayanna's statue in Belagavi bordering Maharashtra last week, Bommai said the police have arrested all the main accused related to the case.

"The previous governments were never doing this. We are controlling them all," Bommai said.

Meanwhile, various Kannada organisations on Monday staged protests blocking the National Highway-4 at Hire Bagewadi in Belagavi where the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha is located.

The activists who came to Belagavi in huge numbers from various parts of Karnataka staged a road blockade. They were seen intercepting ministers and legislators who were on the way to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, where the Legislature session is on, demanding stringent action and ban on the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, members of which were allegedly behind the incident.

Praveen Shetty of the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, who spearheaded the agitation, demanded the externment of MES activists.

"We demand ban on MES and externment of their leaders. They dare to destroy the statue of Sangolli Rayanna. We will observe bandh. We are all going to meet together under the leadership of Vatal Nagaraj," Shetty told reporters.