Warns of staging demonstration in front of DC office on Aug. 26

Mysore/Mysuru: Strongly opposing the efforts to shift freedom fighter Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna’s statue being installed at Peeranawadi in Belagavi district, former K.R. MLA  M.K. Somashekar has warned of staging a massive demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office here on Aug. 26 if the Government went ahead with the move.

Addressing a preliminary meeting in this regard at Kanaka Bhavan in Siddharthanagar here yesterday, Somashekar maintained that Sangolli Rayanna, who was a revolutionary freedom fighter belongs not just to Belagavi but to the entire State. Alleging that the Belagavi district administration has taken an inappropriate decision on shifting Sangolli Rayanna’s statue at Peeranawadi, he warned of staging a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office here on Aug. 26.

Asserting that Sangolli Rayanna, who was a terror to the Britishers, is a great inspiration for the younger generation of today, he said that Sangolli Rayanna fans association had got permission from the Government for installation of his statue at Peeranawadi. But the district administration, apparently bowing to the pressure of Marathi groups, has shifted the Statue under Police protection. As such, it has been decided to launch a struggle against the shifting of the Statue, Somashekar said.

Karnataka Pradesha Kurubara Sangha Working President B. Subramanya, who also addressed the meeting, condemned the Police atrocities against Sangolli Rayanna fans.

Sangha Vice-President Rekha Priyadarshini, Directors J. Gopi, Abhilash, R. Nagaraju, ZP member Beerihundi Basavanna, Community leaders T.B. Chikkanna, Mahadevaswamy, Jayaram, Balu, Shankar, Guddappa, Shivanna, Bank Puttaswamy, Shivappa, Ravikumar, Prakash, Madegowda, Ahinda Shivaramu and members of Kannada and other organisations   were present.

The meeting also paid homage to Karnataka Pradesha Kurubara Sangha President G. Krishna of Ballari who passed away recently.