Court building set on fire in Hubli

Krishna told mediapersons after the meeting that Vajpayee seemed to understand the necessity of setting up the high court bench.

The BJP was not part of the delegation but Union Tourism and Culture Minister Anant Kumar and BJP General Secretary M Venkaiah Naidu met the Prime Minister separately, asking him to take up the issue with the Supreme Court and the State High Court.

There seems to be hope for the resolution of the crisis at the highest levels, but in the twin cities, it was another day of protest. On Friday morning, some miscreants set fire to the Court building just when the judges arrived. The police managed to put it out and even had the door repainted immediately. But the judges were gheraoed and not allowed to enter the premises in Hubli and Dharwad.

The BJP Yuva Morcha did a “Urulu Seva” around the Kittur Chennamma Circle in Hubli, shouting slogans against the Government and demanding the HC bench and railway zone.

The ABVP also joined the agitation. There was also a rail roko in the twin cities.

In what is now becoming a daily routine, advocates in both Hubli and Dharwad went on their rounds, forcing down shutters of all Government offices. Branches of the State Bank of India in Hubli, the Deputy Commissioner’s office, the Income Tax, Commercial Tax, Karnataka Finance Development Corporation, treasuries in both the cities, Regional Transport Office, Hubli Dharwad Urban Development Authority, the LIC office and the Divisional Railway Manager’s office were among the offices closed.

Stones were pelted at the Railway office and the LIC but this was immediately contained as the staff walked out of the buildings which were then locked.

Youths stoned two buses on Lamington Road but didn’t stay to watch the results of their handiwork and fled almost immediately. Bus services, however, continued as before.

Gireddi Govindaraj, president of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy was gheraoed and his resignation demanded. He refused and made it clear that though he supported the demand for a HC bench, he did not support the demand for a separate state.

Schools and colleges remained closed. The decision on when they will reopen will be taken on Saturday.

At a meeting of the Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha, which is one of the oldest organisations of litterateurs and intellectuals in the area, it was decided that if the Government did not try to fulfill the aspirations of the people, the demand for a separate state would become inevitable. The statement was made by Sangha president Patil Puttappa.

A motor-cycle rally was taken out by youths through the main streets of the City in the evening.