Footpath Clearance Drive: GBA Engineers Assaulted By Pro-Kannada Group In Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Footpath clearance drive which was going on in Shivajinagar of Bengaluru city for about 12 days from Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials, however, took an ugly turn on Tuesday when a group opposing the drive took to assault engineers-Madhav Rao, Ruchita, earthmover driver and a tractor driver and were pepper sprayed on them in a bid to thwart their action against street vendors.

A group led by Karnataka Sene, a pro-Kannada organisation State president identified as Basavaraj Padukone and his fellow men encountered the engineers attached to GBA near Shivajinagar bus stand over the clearance and one from the group slapped Madhav Rao.

Soon, others joined to launch an attack on Rao. Madhav Rao was assaulted by Basavaraj and his men with a helmet, a plastic chair while someone pushed him on to the ground. Recovering from the push, Madhav Rao tried to flee when one of the officials came to his rescue but the group chased him and assaulted him.

Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda told reporters that he has instructed police officials to book Basavaraj Padukone under Goonda Act and suspected Basavaraj might have engaged in inciting street vendors to assault GBA engineers.

Gowda suspected Basavaraj might have encouraged street vendors and collected protection money from them to do business on footpaths.

Police said 7 persons have been secured over the assault incident and search is on to trace absconding Basavaraj Padukone. Driver of an earthmover and a tractor were sent to hospital for examination after pepper spray was sprayed on them. Even engineers who came under pepper spray attack such as Madhav Rao and Ruchitha were sent for medical examination.