19 pro-Kannada activists nabbed

19 pro-Kannada activists nabbed

KSS men had disrupted a meet at Yavanika as it was being held in English

M K Madhusoodan. Bangalore

Police have arrested 19 activists of the Karnataka Sangharsha Samiti (KSS), a pro-Kannada organisation, for vandalising the second-floor meeting hall of Yavanika, a prestigious art and culture centre owned by the government.
The activists, who came in several vehicles from Bommanahalli, had barged into the meeting hall and disrupted a leadership and business meeting organised by a group called 'Leaders' on December 27, around 1 pm. Police said the group had damaged the window panes, furniture and electrical fittings in the hall. The state president of the samiti was arrested along with the members of his outfit.
The police also seized six tempos, four motorcycles and a sports utility vehicle belonging to the organisation.
Police said the group wanted to disrupt the meeting because it was being held in English. The organisers were charging the participants Rs 4,999 for attending it. According to police, the participants were forced to run for cover when the raiding party barged into the meeting hall. However, nobody was injured.
Yavanika has found a place in the IT city as the focal point of the state's cultural circuit.