An FIR was registered against Sharanagouda Kandakur, president of the youth wing of Janata Dal (Secular) in connection with a protest held by JD(S) workers in Yadgir on Saturday.
The protesters are charged with rioting and unlawful assembly among other charges. The FIR was based on a complaint made by Hanamantha, a BJP worker, at the Yadgir Town police station. In his complaint, Hanamantha alleged that Sharanagouda instigated around 15-20 JD(S) workers to stop Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's convoy, raise slogans and wave black flags.
The incident occurred at 5:30 pm near Subash Chowk in Yadgir when CM Yediyurappa was in Yadgir to check the progress of flood rehabilitation works in the district.
One of the protesters - Shivakumar - was identified during the protest. Sharanagouda, meanwhile, was not at the protest but he is accused of organising it and involving Shivakumar and other unknown persons.
Sharanagouda is the son of Gurmitkal's JD(S) MLA Nagangouda Kandkur. He caught the public eye in February this year when he leaked an audio clip purportedly of then Leader of Opposition BS Yediyurappa attempting to convince him and his father Naganagouda Kandkur to shift to the BJP from the JD(S). At the time, Sharanagouda was a JD(S) worker. In July, he was given the responsibility of leading the party's youth wing as its president.
He has alleged that the case was an act of vendetta by the BJP government. "This is a response to what I did earlier. I was not even in Yadgir when the incident occurred. I was in Hyderabad and I have proof of booking a room there as well. I don't know why my name was added in the FIR. Now that the complaint has been made, I will inform the police about where I was at the time of the incident and clear up the fact that I was not involved in this", Sharanagouda told TNM.
Police officials are currently investigating the incident and have arrested 4 persons but are yet to arrest Sharanagouda. "We are investigating the incident in which 15-20 people blocked Chief Minister Yediyurappa's convoy and held an agitation. 4 persons involved in the protest were arrested," said a police official in Yadgir.