Raichur: Activists associated with IIT Horata Samithi made an attempt to disrupt the 60th Rajyotsava celebrations in Raichur district on Sunday in protest against the denial of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to Raichur.
Hundreds of activists wearing black armbands and raising slogans began the agitations displaying black flags at midnight at the Mahatma Gandhi stadium in the city on Saturday itself.
Exchange of heated words between agitating activists and the police who tried to arrest them led to tension for a brief while.
Heavy police force had been deployed in the stadium for averting unwarranted developments. However, the situation returned to normality by 1.30 a.m. on Sunday.
The black-flag protest continued on Sunday morning when Minister of State for Medical Education and Raichur in-charge arrived to hoist the flag at Karnataka Sangha. The activists initially encircled the Minister and demanded that he boycott the Rajyotsava celebrations and join the agitations to protest against the denial of IIT to Raichur.
After much persuasion, the activists changed their minds and asked him to unfurl the flag wearing a black armband. However, as the Minister turned down the demand, the police took around 100 activists into custody and facilitated the Minister to hoist the flag.
The arrested activists were later released after the Rajyotsava celebrations at the District Police Grounds ended.
At a point, the activists, holding the map of Hyderabad-Karnataka, raised slogans demanding Statehood for Hyderabad-Karnataka.
The agitation was led by IIT Horata Samithi president Basavaraj Kalasa and its leaders Ravindra Jaldar and Ambanna Arolikar, leaders of Kannada organisations Ashok Kumar Jain, Vinod Reddy, S. Shivakumar Yadav, Amaresh, Khaleel Pasha and Gangadhar Swamy.
Similar black-flag protests were reported from Sindhanur, Lingsugur, Manvi and Deodurg taluk centres on Sunday.
(Inputs from The Hindu)
