Panchamasalis approach court seeking judicial inquiry into lathi-charge incident

Seer of Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha of Koodalasangama Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami addressing presspersons in Dharwad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Lingayat Panchamasalis whose protest over 2A reservation before Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi resulted in violence have now approached the High Court of Karnataka seeking judicial inquiry into the lathi charge.

Addressing presspersons in Dharwad along with members of the Panchamasali Vakilara Parishath on Saturday, seer of Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha of Koodalasangama Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami said as there was no positive response from the government on probe into the incident, they were forced to approach the court.

The seer said that after the lathi charge incident, the police had filed FIRs registered against 12 of the protesters. “We had urged the government to withdraw the cases and demanded the Chief Minister’s apology on the lathicharge and also for his statement regarding not considering our demand for reservation. However, the Chief Minister has not responded to any of our demands, so we were forced to approach the court,” he said.

The seer said that on behalf of the Panchamasali community, senior counsel Prabhuling Navadagi, Pooja Savadatti, and others had filed writ petition in the High Court of Karnataka. After hearing the case, the court had issued notices to all the respondents, he said.

The seer said that he would appeal to the community members, especially those who had suffered injuries, not to get disheartened by the development. “We are with all those who suffered injuries and on December 23, we will visit their houses,” he said.

Briefing about the petition filed, Ms. Savadatti said that the seer had continued the agitation till December 19 and on December 20, they approached the Dharwad Bench of High Court of Karnataka seeking judicial inquiry into the incident. Taking up the case for hearing, the court had issued notices to 10 respondents including Government of Karnataka, Home Department, and others, she said, based on what the court decided on the case they would further chalk out their next plan of action.

She said there was no prohibitory order in place and the police resorted to lathi charge on a peaceful protest.