ABVP activists storm stage at Kannada meet

Several activists of Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat (ABVP), an affiliate of the Sangh Parivar, stormed the stage at the 73rd All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelan at Shimoga in Karnataka, leading to commotion and chaos at the venue.

The ABVP activists were protesting against the decision of the organizers to invite litterateur Kalkuli Vittal Hegde, who, according to them, is a naxal sympathizer.

The audience, who were listening to the deliberations on problems of Malnad region at the Sammelan on Thursday evening, was taken by surprise when several ABVP activists climbed on the dais, waving a black flag and shouting slogans against the organizers.

ABVP activists accused Hegde, who had already finished his speech, of supporting the naxal movement in Malnad region of Karnataka. Farmers’ leader K T Gangadhar was addressing the gathering when trouble broke out.

Soon after the ABVP activists climbed on the dais and started shouting slogans, activists of Communal Harmony Forum too followed them and began dragging them down. An activist of the Forum snatched a baton from a policeman at the venue and started beating the demonstrators, leading to tense moments at the venue.

Police too arrived on the scene and resorted to caning the demonstrators. The police arrested six ABVP activists and took them away from the venue.

The ABVP activists had earlier staged a demonstration opposing the participation of Hegde and Communal Harmony Forum convener Gauri Lankesh in the Kannada Meet, accusing them of supporting the naxal movement in the region.

The 73rd All India Kannada Sahitya Sammelan has turned out to be a stormy event. For, the event began with a black flag demonstration by JD (S) supporters, who were protesting against the “insult” meted out to Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy by the organizers.

The JD (S) supporters expressed their ire over the organizers “casual” invitation to the Chief Minister. They accused the organizers of violating the protocol by not inviting the Chief Minister for the inaugural function of the event.