Mysore/Mysuru: Members of various organisations staged a dharna near Deputy Commissioner’s Office here today demanding re-installation of freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna’s Statue in Belagavi.

They demanded action against culprits for desecration of Rayanna’s statue and wanted the State Government to direct the Belagavi District Administration to re-install it in the same place. Sangolli Rayanna was a great freedom fighter and removal of the statue was an insult to him. They also slammed the Police for taking action on protesters in Belagavi.

They warned of intensifying their protest if the statue was not re-installed. Former MLAs M.K. Somashekar, Vasu, Puttasiddashetty, ex-Mayors T.B. Chikkanna and Pushpalatha Chikkanna, Subramanya of Karnataka Pradesh Kurubara Sangha, Karnataka State Backward Classes Association President K.S. Shivaram and Vice-President Rekha Priyadarshini, Corporator J. Gopi, Savita Samaja District President N.R. Nagesh, Vishwakarma Mahamandala District President C.T. Acharya and others took part in protest.