Congress and BJP protested in the twin cities

BJP members staged a protest in Dharwad on Friday condemning CT Ravi’s arrest. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangements

The twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad on Friday saw protests by Congress and BJP members over alleged lewd comments against former minister CT Ravi and his subsequent arrest.

In Dharwad, condemning Mr. Ravi’s arrest, BJP workers took out a protest rally and demonstrated in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office and burnt effigies of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar.

The Congress, which claims to be the custodian of the Indian Constitution, has accused the Congress of working against it by arresting one of its legislators, saying that the Congress has misused its power. Former mayor Iresh Anchatgeri, leading the movement, said that the government arrested Ravi despite the immunity given to MPs and UML under Article 194 (2).

Condemning the arrest, Arvind Bellad, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, accused the Congress government, which was involved in various scams, of bringing Mr. Ravi with a conspiracy to divert the public’s attention.

He said that by arresting Ravi, the state government had broken all the rules except threatening the UML and physically and mentally torturing it. Other BJP leaders also did not allow him to meet, which shows the Congress’s political vendetta, he said.

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In Hubballi, Lakshmi Hebbalkar Fan Association, Veerashaiva Lingayat Samaj, Unakal Block Congress Committee led by many workers mainly women protested. They protested by garlanding Shree Ravi’s posters, shouting slogans, burning effigies.

Viresh Undi, a leader of the Lingayat Panchamasali community, said that the use of obscene words against Ms. Hebbalkar showed Mr. Ravi’s anti-women culture and that her membership should be revoked immediately. Sunil Mathapati of Fan Association, Congress leader Kalawati Dattawad said that BJP leaders who say ‘Bharat Mata’ do not respect women and insulted all women by making such comments.

In another protest at Sangoli Rayanna Circle, Twin Cities president of Congress Mahila Sangh Deepa Gauri, among others, staged a mock funeral for Mr. Ravi and demanded immediate cancellation of his membership of the legislature.

Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, Labor Minister Santosh Lad said that no woman would complain of being humiliated. The BJP’s protest showed their culture and how they treat women, he said. Navalgund MLA NH Konardy demanded an apology from Mr. Ravi for his alleged remarks.