MLA Bhat accuses Cong of violence in Udupi city during bandh

Udupi: The Congress party is responsible for the clashes between the Congress and BJP workers during the Bharat Bandh in Udupi city, said MLA Raghupathi Bhat of BJP.

He was speaking at a press meet at the BJP office here on Monday, September 10. He blamed the Congress workers for the violence that broke out during which Prabhakar Poojary, BJP City Block President and four others were injured and admitted to a hospital.

The Congress workers were trying to enforce the bandh by forcing the shopkeepers to close their shops in support of the protest, which is why there were several clashes in the city, he claimed and added that he had received many calls from the shopkeepers who were strong-armed into closing their shops. He also claimed that the Congress workers tried to get the autorickshaw drivers in Manpail to comply with he bandh and that they even threatened to assault a woman when she protested against them trying to close a hotel at Kadiyali.

Coming to the defence of the BJP party workers, Bhat said that since the police failed to take strong action against the rough methods employed by the Congress party workers, the BJP workers were forced to step up and protect the shopkeepers. He also tried to imply that the police were somehow involved in the protest by questioning why the police did not take action against the Congress workers.

The Congress leaders have become despondent after losing all the five seats in Udupi in the legislative assembly elections and even in the recent CMC election, where the BJP won 31 out of the 35 seats. Hence, they have poured out their frustration on the people and the BJP workers by resorting to violence during the Bharath Bandh, he opined.

Mattar Rathnakar Hegde, President of District BJP and Kappettu Praveen Shetty were present.