Date:15/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/15/stories/2008061554000400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Worst treatment,’ says Deve Gowda

Special Correspondent

Police firing in Haveri comes in for sharp criticism

Bangalore: Janata Dal (S) president H.D. Deve Gowda on Saturday made a frontal attack on the B.S. Yeddyurappa Government, terming the lathi-charge and firing on farmers in Haveri as “the worst treatment” ever meted out to them. Perhaps, the Bharatiya Janata Party has introduced the “Gujarat model of governance” in the State in right earnest, he said sarcastically.

Mr. Gowda, who inaugurated the two-day meeting of the party that has been called “An introspection”, said that the people who voted the party to power would realise one day what it would do to them in the future.

Demanding a judicial probe into the firing by a judge of the High Court, Mr. Gowda said that the party leaders and workers would take out silent marches in Bangalore and in the districts, and present memorandums to Governor Rameshwar Thakur and the deputy commissioners.

The Janata Dal (S) leader advised them not to indulge in any violence or block the roads and rail tracks during the programme. If the State Government failed to heed its advice, the party would continue the agitation till it achieved success.

Who ordered the firing? The provocation for it and the procedure for opening fire were issues that should be probed. The probe was entrusted to the Divisional Commissioner as the Government wanted to cover up mistakes.

Terming the police brutalities as the height of uncivilised behaviour, he said that had he been in power, he would have kept the police officers responsible for the firing under suspension immediately.

Mr. Gowda said that the victims belonged to the Kuruba and other castes. He sought an explanation from the Chief Minister for the hasty transfer of Principal Secretary (Agriculture) A. Ramaswamy.

Charging the Congress and the BJP of conspiring to destroy the Janata Dal (S), Mr. Gowda declared that he would not retire until he rejuvenated the party. The Lok Sabha elections were round the corner and he could not forget the 55 lakh voters, who supported the party in the recent elections.

Earlier, the State unit president Merajuddin Patel attacked a particular caste for virtually boycotting the Janata Dal (S) in the elections. Working president of the State unit C. Narayanaswamy spoke.