DMK, BJP activists stage protests

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JUNE 30. The activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) staged a demonstration here on Saturday in protest against the arrest of the DMK chief and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. K. Karunanidhi, and his nephew and Union Commerce Minister, Mr. Murasoli Maran.

The BJP activists, led by the Rajajinagar MLA, Mr. Suresh Kumar, the Shivajinagar MLA, Mr. Katta Subramanya Naidu, the Basavanagudi MLA, Mr. K.N.Subba Reddy, and the BJP members of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike gathered at the GPO Circle. From there, they marched to the Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum to the Governor, Ms. V. S. Rama Devi. The delegation demanded that the President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, dismiss the Tamil Nadu Government.

Train held up

Earlier, the DMK activists gathered in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in protest against the arrest of the party leaders in Chennai and staged a ``rail roko'' at the City Railway Station detaining the Chennai- bound Brindavan Express for about half-an- hour. The Brindavan Express, scheduled to leave at 2.20 p.m., left Bangalore at around 3 p.m. Barring these incidents, the City was peaceful.

The members of the Mysore city unit of the BJP led by its president and MLA, Mr. H. S. Shankarlinge Gowda, staged a dharna at K. R. Circle shouting slogans against the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, and the Tamil Nadu Police.

Mr. A. Ramdas, MLA, and other leaders of the Mysore city unit of the BJP, participated in the dharna. The activists of the BJP took out a procession to the Deputy Commissioner's office in Raichur and burnt the effigy of Ms. Jayalalithaa. They submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. G. Kumar Naik, urging the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, to initiate action against the Jayalalithaa Government.

The Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), Mr. M. D. Singh, said the Karnataka Police had been advised by the Tamil Nadu Police to warn motorists against going to Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri.

The State police have cautioned the Bangalore City and Bangalore Rural District Police in this regard. However, police do not apprehend major trouble in the State, he added.

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Section  : Southern States
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