Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers staged protests in Hubli, Karnataka, on Wednesday, expressing their discontent over the arrest of Srikanth Poojary, a karsevak involved in the Babri Masjid demolition. The arrest, which occurred just ahead of the Ram Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya on January 22, sparked accusations against the Siddaramaiah government of targeting Hindutva activists.
Srikanth Poojary, who was 20 years old at the time of the Babri Masjid demolition, had evaded arrest for the past three decades, but his case was described as "long-pending" by the police. His arrest on Tuesday led to widespread demonstrations in Hubli, a region known for communal tensions. Protesters gathered in front of the Nagar Police Station, expressing concerns about what they perceived as selective and targeted arrests of karsevaks.
The protests, initiated around 11 am, continued through the afternoon, with R Ashoka, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, leading the demonstration. To prevent any escalation, the police deployed approximately 500 personnel in the city, and shops in the area reportedly closed, resembling an undeclared bandh.
Protesters voiced their outrage, alleging that the Congress government was selectively targeting Hindu activists by arresting them in decades-old cases. Videos from the protest site showed BJP workers chanting bhajans and raising religious slogans. The protest received the participation of MLAs Aravind Bellad, Mahesh Tenginakai, MR Patil, and MLC Pradeep Shettar.
State Home Minister G Parameshwar responded, stating that Poojary was not a devotee of Lord Ram and had 16 cases registered against him. "He is in the position of an accused and has 16 cases against him. He has come out with a few cases among them. The BJP is a party that is supporting a person who is not abiding by the law and has 16 cases against him. I don’t know what has happened to the BJP," Parameshwar told reporters.
"Poojary’s case came up while digging into older cases as orders were given to clear them. It is natural that a question is raised why after 31 years action is being taken. But, the cases could have been withdrawn during the four-year rule of the BJP government or when former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was in power. They have also not done anything. The question is who should be blamed," Parameshwar added.