Congress supporting SDPI to gain minority votes, says Pramod Muthalik

Kalaburgi, Nov 3: Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik was detained in Kalaburagi as a preventive measure on Thursday after he participated in a protest condemning the arrest of Siddalinga Swami, honorary president of the Sri Ram Sena and head of Karuneshwar Mutt at Andola in Jewargi taluk in the district. Siddalinga Swami, was recently arrested for thrashing a Muslim man.

Senior police officials suddenly rushed into the Kannada Bhavan and detained Mr. Muthalik when he was trying to organise a meeting with the chiefs of different mutts ahead of his visit to Jewargi taluk after a communal violence rocked the town last week.

However, Mr. Muthalik refused to go with the police and said that there were no pending cases against him. “It is a political conspiracy against me by the Congress leaders and the district administration,” he said. Police sources said that Mr. Muthalik, detained in a preventive move to stop him from fomenting further trouble in the district, was released later.

Earlier, members of the sena took out a rally from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Chowk to the Deputy Commissioner’s office and submitted a memorandum demanding the release of Siddalinga Swami.

Mr. Muthalik, addressing the protesters, said that the Congress government was supporting the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and other organisations to gain minority votes. He criticised the State government for not giving a fitting answer to the organisations supporting terrorists.