Mysuru: Chaotic scenes were witnessed at J.K. Grounds this morning where Deepavali crackers are being sold when Krishnaraja MLA M.K. Somashekar led an anti-cracker campaign. Cracker dealers opposed the MLA’s action and there was a war of words between Somashekar’s supporters and cracker dealers. They even manhandled each other.

The situation was, however, brought under control after the MLA’s PA and a cracker dealer were taken into custody.  

There are over 17 cracker shops at J.K. Grounds which have obtained licences from the Government. This morning, there was a pre-scheduled programme at the Town Hall where Somashekar was to lead an anti-cracker and an anti-pollution campaign. The campaign was to spread awareness on the ill-effects of cracker bursting and the resultant pollution.

A few of the MLA’s supporters and public, numbering over 75, had gathered at the Town Hall for the event.

Then the organisers thought that instead of creating a campaign at the Town Hall, it would be more effective to conduct the same at J.K. Grounds where the cracker sale counters have been set up.

The campaigners marched towards J.K. Grounds and they destroyed crackers that they had brought along by immersing them into a water tub and shouted slogans. Soon, cracker dealers and their supporters came out from their shops and criticised the MLA of depriving them of their livelihood.

Both MLA’s supporters and cracker dealers abused and manhandled each other. This led to a tense atmosphere. While Somashekar’s supporters shouted slogans against cracker sellers, the other group branded the MLA and his men as “anti-Hindu” and “anti-Deepavali activists.” They questioned the MLA on what authority he had organised the protest when the government itself had granted them licences. Some of the cracker dealers addressed the MLA in singular and asked him to get the cracker sale banned at the government-level.

Realising his campaign was getting out of control, the MLA came out of J.K. Grounds along with a few of his supporters and squatted in front of the entrance gate where two Policemen were mute spectators. The two groups fought here too. Later, Police teams arrived at the spot and took MLA’s PA Gunashekar and a cracker dealer Muthuraj into custody. They were released later.  

Speaking to reporters, the MLA said that he was not up to deprive somebody of their livelihood. “I wanted to create awareness among people on noise and sound pollution. I have already written to the State Government seeking a stage-by-stage ban on crackers as it is tough to ban crackers in one go,” he said.

Merevegowda from K.G. Koppal said that he and other dealers have invested more than Rs. 20 lakh to set up shops. “Who gave the powers to the MLA to deny our livelihood and who will reimburse the losses that we have incurred due to rains and lack of sales,” he questioned.