Tensions flared in Hubballi on Wednesday as a political blame game and protests erupted outside the Keshwapur police station. The unrest centered on the arrest and alleged assault of a woman worker affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), leading to heated exchanges between leaders of the BJP and the Congress party.
Police Station Confrontation and Dharna
BJP workers, led by Hubballi-Dharwad mayor Jyoti Patil and deputy mayor Santosh Chavan, attempted to picket the Keshwapur police station. Their demonstration was halted by police barricades, leading to a tense standoff and a heated argument between the protesters and police officials.
Police commissioner Shashikumar later arrived and invited only the mayor and deputy mayor for discussions. However, when two police personnel stopped them at the station entrance, the two leaders staged a sit-in protest, or dharna, on the steps. Mayor Jyoti Patil accused the police of treating them like criminals and threatened to complain to the governor about their conduct.
Dueling Narratives: BLO Controversy and Assault Claims
The Congress party presented a starkly different account of the events that led to the arrest. Congress corporator Suvarna Kallakuntla explained that the issue began on Saturday with a booth-level officer (BLO), Nandini Kulkarni. The BLO was conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists but was allegedly accompanied solely by BJP workers.
"As a BLO, she should go independently, or she should call booth agents of all political parties. Since she was accompanying BJP workers, some citizens objected," Kallakuntla stated. The Congress had already complained about the BLO's actions to the HDMC commissioner on Saturday.
Vidyanagar block Congress president Rajat Ullagaddimath further alleged that the BJP woman worker attempted to attack Congress corporators and workers on Saturday. He claimed she was acting with the support of local BJP MLA Mahesh Tenginkai, who "convened a meeting at her doorstep on Sunday and provoked them."
In response, MLA Tenginkai argued that the woman was merely helping the BLO identify houses of voters in areas like Chalukyanagar and Gandhiwad, which have many migrants. He accused Congress corporator Kallakuntla of threatening the woman, suggesting Congress feared losing voters who had recently obtained ID cards.
Senior Leaders React and Police Rebuttal
The incident drew strong reactions from senior BJP leaders. Union minister and Dharwad MP Pralhad Joshi accused the police of brutality. "Keshwapur police committed an offence by brutally assaulting an innocent woman. It shows that women are not safe in the Congress-ruled state," Joshi said, demanding severe action against the erring officers.
The police firmly rejected all allegations of misconduct. A senior officer provided a counter-narrative, stating, "The woman herself stripped off when police went to arrest her in connection with a case. We have videos and evidence of her assault acts." The officer insisted the police performed their duties efficiently and patiently, suggesting that a thorough viewing of available video evidence would reveal the truth.
The clash underscores the intense political rivalry in the region, with both parties digging in on their versions of the event, leaving the Keshwapur police station at the center of a major controversy.
