BJP leaders arrested in a bid to lay siege to Dy. SP’s office in Kushalnagar; demand inclusion of Congress MLAs in FIR after party worker’s suicide

BJP leaders arrested in Kodagu district for demanding inclusion of Congress MLAs in FIR after party worker's suicide.

BJP leaders, including State president B.Y. Vijayendra and MP for Mysuru Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, were among the party workers who were arrested and later released after they attempted to lay siege to the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police at Kushalnagar in Kodagu district on Saturday, demanding the inclusion of Congress MLAs of the district, A.S. Ponnanna and Manthar Gowda, in the FIR registered in connection with the suicide of party worker Vinay Somaiah.

The body of the party worker, who died in Bengaluru, was kept at the mortuary of the Community Health Centre in Kushalnagar before it was taken to his native Gonimaruru in Kodagu district for the funeral.

The party leaders, who paid their last respects, gathered outside the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, demanding the inclusion of MLA for Virajpet Ponnanna and MLA for Madikeri Manthar Gowda in the FIR, accusing them of playing a role in the suicide of their party worker. At one point, the BJP leaders threatened that they would not perform the last rites till the police book the two Congress MLAs.

They were restrained by barricades and a posse of police personnel, and when they surged forward to lay siege to the office, they were arrested and taken away in police vehicles.

The arrested BJP members included Mr. Vijayendra, Mr. Yaduveer, and former MP Pratap Simha. A host of BJP leaders from Kodagu and Mysuru, including MLA for Krishnaraja T.S. Srivatsa, former MLAs K.G. Bopaiah and Preetam Gowda were also present in Kushalnagar.

After the protesting party workers were taken away by the police, the body of Vinay Somaiah was taken to his native Gonimaruru, where the last rites were performed.

According to Superintendent of Police, Kodagu district, K. Ramarajan, the police had made elaborate security arrangements at Kushalnagar, in view of the BJP protest.