News Reports on Violence in Sagar Shimoga [September 2003]
VHP, Bajrang Dal blamed
DH News Service SHIMOGA, Sept 15
The Karnataka Vimochana Ranga has condemned the “planned” acts of violence unleashed by the Bajrang Dal and the VHP in Sagar town for fulfilling their political aims.
In a statement issued here today, District Convenor Kashinath said that the violent incidents in Sagar were part of the Sangh Parivar’s belief that it can come to power by unleashing violence in the manner of the Gujarat pogrom.
Hundreds of Ganapathi idols have been peacefully immersed in the district. It’s only during processions and immersion of idols installed by the Sangh Parivar outfits that trouble and violence break out, the statement said. Residents of Shimoga should unite against these reactionary and violent forces and stop them from carrying out their pogroms, the statement urged.
Bus stand: Transport Minister Ramanath Rai will lead a team of officials to Shimoga to survey the site allotted for the construction of the new private bus stand. Civilians of Shimoga had met the chief minister under the leadership of Leader of the Opposition D H Shankaramurthy and urged him not to shift the present bus stand to the proposed Millaghatta tank area.
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Kagodu chides Bangarappa over his fiery statements
SHIMOGA, DHNS:
‘‘I will not set fire to anything rather I will put down the fire started by others’’, district minister and Bangarappa’s arch rival Kagodu Thimmappa said here today.
Addressing a press conference in SHimoga city on Monday, Mr Thimmappa refused to react in kind to inflammatory statements made by Bangarappa in Sagar and Soraba on Sunday. No political leader of any stature should indulge in such inflammatory statements which have the power to incite communal passions.
There have not been any poll-related violence in Shimoga district so far. All political parties should take pride in this and should continue this good tradition, Mr Thimmappa urged.
He said that the Shimoga District Congress Committee will complain to the Election Commission about the inflammatory statements being made by Bangarappa.
He noted that Bangarappa by his speech in Sagar on Sunday had confirmed suspicions that he had instigated the communal disturbances in the town on Sept 11, 2003.
Referring to Kumar Bangarappa’s re-entry into the Congress, Mr Thimmappa said that he had not caused any rift in the family. Kumar had voluntarily decided to join the Congress and the decision was entirely his. No Congress leader had any role to play in this decision, he said.
Reacting to Deve Gowda’s statement that Congress is purchasing people, he said the party has no need for such tactics.
Dismissing statements that Sagar constituency had not seen any progress, Mr Thimmappa challenged Bangarappa to visit villages in Soraba taluk where he had started hospitals and health centres during the past four years. The projects for which Mr Bangarappa had only laid foundation stones fourteen years ago were completed now, during his tenure as district minister, he pointed out.
In view of Bangarappa’s defection, Block Congress units have been reorganized, Mr Thimmappa said and added that the Congress will emerge victorious in the district in the ensuing polls. Seeking to remove the confusions about SAS, he said that the government has already ordered a review of the construction value.
People should pay taxes as per the new system and any extra payment will be adjusted in the coming financial year, he said. The Congress party needed an able Brahmin candidate in Shimoga district. If K H Srinivas had joined the party bit early (Srinivas came into Cong fold last week), he could have been given the ticket, Thimmappa said here today.
Referring to Kimmane Rathnakar joining the Congress, he said that efforts in this regard were being made for a long time. He will surely get a ticket from the party to contest the assembly polls, he said.
K H Srinivas to Shimoga
Mr K H Srinivas who has joined the Congress will be in Shimoga on March 31 where he will meet party workers and address them. He will be given the campaign responsibility, Mr THimmappa said.
District congress president Mir Aziz Ahmed, general secretary N Ramesh, CADA president Prasannakumar, Sagar TMC president T N Srinivas, DCC secretary Shivananda were among those present on the occasion.
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CoD begins clash probe in Sagar
SAGAR, DHNS:
The CoD has begun investigating into the September 11 communal clashes in Sagar town.
CoD inspector C K Shashidhar who is in Sagar now visited both the rural and town police stations and examined the cases filed, the number of people arrested and those chargesheeted.
He also visited the taluk office to verify the compensation awarded.
Mr Shashidhar is trying to get all the relevant information about the incident and told Deccan Herald that the investigation will be completed within fifteen days.
It may be recalled that former MLA L T Thimmappa Hegde, former MP K G Shivappa, politician Mohammad Qoya and others had visited Kagodu Thimmappa in Bangalore and demanded an enquiry into the incident.
Mr Thimmappa had forwarded the request to the home minister and a CoD enquiry was instituted on February 7 this year.