Siddaramaiah, other top Karnataka Cong leaders detained over protests against Bidar sedition case

Bengaluru: Top leaders from Karnataka Congress including former chief minister Siddaramaiah were detained by the police after taking out a protest march against Cheif Minister BS Yeddyurappa over Bidar sedition case.

Other Congress leaders detained by the Bengaluru police included Dinesh Gundu Rao, Rizwan Arshad, and K Suresh after they took out protest march alleging misuse of the police department by the state government in Bidar case.

Rao earlier told reporters that "Police is being misused by this government, those who raise their voices against central government and BJP are being booked for sedition. We are going to protest in front of Chief Minister's office."

The agitation by Congress leaders was taken up after sedition charges were slapped by the state government on faculty and a student’s mother for an anti-NRC play on the school premises.

The school was also sealed for allowing the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) play to be enacted on its



premises.

The school’s principal and the mother of the student who uttered a controversial dialogue against the NRC have been granted bail but are yet to be freed.

"We are yet to receive the court order on bail to release Fareeda Begum and Nazbunnisa. If we receive the court order today, the women can walk out of the prison by evening," told Bidar district prison Superintendent Shivaputra Hajimani to IANS.

The sedition charges were slapped on Begum, the headmistress of the Shaheen Group of Institution’s school in Bidar and Nazbunnisa, the parent of the student who allegedly abused against PM Modi during the play.

They have been granted bail by the Bidar Principal District and Sessions Court.

During controversial play was enacted by minor school children on January 21, as per former Superintendent of Police Sreedhara.

In the play, the participants were shown staging an anti-CAA sequence where there were dialogues encouraging non-cooperation with anyone asking for documents. A case was also registered against the school management.