GBA Engineers Assaulted By A Pro-Kannada Group During Footpaths Clearance Drive In Bengaluru
BENGALUR: However, the nearly 12-day-long footpath clearing drive by Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) officials in Bengaluru city’s Shivajinagar took an ugly turn on Tuesday when a group opposing the drive attacked the engineers – Madhav Rao, Ruchita, an excavator driver and a tractor driver – and pepper-sprayed them in an attempt to thwart their action against street vendors.
A group led by Pro-Kannada organisation, State president Karnataka Sene, identified as Basavaraj Padukone, and his friends encountered engineers affiliated with GBA near Shivajinagar bus stand at the crossing, and one of the group slapped Madhav Rao.
Others soon joined in launching an attack on Rao. Madhav Rao was attacked by Basavaraj and his men with a helmet and plastic chair while someone pushed him to the ground. Freed from the pressure, Madhav Rao tried to escape when one of the officials came to his rescue but the group chased him and attacked him.
Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda told reporters that he had instructed police officials to book Basavaraj Padukone under the Goonda Act and suspected that Basavaraj might have encouraged street vendors to attack GBA engineers.
Gowda suspected that Basavaraj might have encouraged street vendors and collected protection money from them to do business on the footpaths.
Police said that 7 people have been secured in connection with the attack and search efforts are on to trace the escaped Basavaraj Padukone. The driver of the construction equipment and the tractor, who was sprayed with pepper gas, was taken to the hospital for examination. Even engineers like Madhav Rao and Ruchitha, who were attacked with tear gas, were sent for medical examination.
