Mysore/Mysuru: Demanding stringent punishment to those who had damaged the statue of Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna at Belagavi, the members of Karnataka Pradesh Kurubara Sangha staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi’s bust, opposite City Law Courts complex in city yesterday.

Pointing out that damaging the statue of Rayanna was an act of treason, the protestors demanded immediate arrest of the miscreants and punish them as per the law.

Sangha President B. Subramanya, who spoke, said that Sangolli Rayanna was a trusted aid of Kittur Rani Chennamma, who was not limited to a State but was a leader of the entire country, Subramanya condemned the incident and demanded the State Government to take steps for the immediate arrest of the miscreants before the winter session at Belagavi concludes and a new statue of Rayanna be installed.

Stating that the Sangha will install the new statue of Sangolli Rayanna if the State Government fails to install, Subramanya said that a decision on the future course of action will be taken at a meeting to be held at Kanaka Bhavan in Siddarthanagar here today (Dec. 19).

Former MLA M.K. Somashekar, Hindulida Vargagala Jagrutha Vedike President K.S. Shivaram, MYLAC former Chairman H.A. Venkatesh, Corporator J. Gopi, pro Kannada activist Mugur Nanjundaswamy, KPCC Legal Cell State Secretary Kavitha Kale, leaders M.A. Kamala Antharamu, Chaya, Hinkal Prakash, Vishwa and others took part in the protest.