Bengaluru: Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa along with his party MPs and MLAs staged a protest against the state government's decision to sell land to Jindal group at a throwaway price.

The BJP leaders are staging an all-night protest near Anand Rao Circle in Bengaluru against Karnataka government selling 3,667 acres of land to Jindal group (JSW Steel) in Ballari.

Though the government had promised to reconsider the decision, it is said that there is pressure from the Congress-JD(S) coalition’s partymen to continue with the JSW land deal. The BJP is protesting against this.

Currently, former deputy chief minister R Ashoka, MLA Sriramulu, MP Shobha Karandlaje, leaders Govind Karjol, CT Ravi, Ravikumar, Aravind Limbavali and others are staging a protest.

Sources said 25 MPs and 105 MLAs from BJP will join the protesting leaders soon. The BJP is also protesting against the government delaying release of drought-relief funds.

Earlier, Udupi-Chikkamagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje had tweeted: 

https://twitter.com/ShobhaBJP/status/1139405792317071360

The BJP had taken out a protest rally in Bengaluru on Thursday (June 13) accusing the state government of being lenient towards financial fraudsters and selling precious land to JSW at a throwaway price.

Holding placards and waving party flags, hundreds of BJP workers thronged the Maurya Circle in Bengaluru and staged a demonstration.

They raised slogans against the state government accusing it of being insensitive to people's problems.

Leading the protest, Ashoka also referred to the IMA scam in Bengaluru.

The firm's owner Mohammed Mansoor Khan is reportedly absconding following the emergence of an audio clip, purportedly of him, in which he is heard threatening to commit suicide.

"They (fraudsters) decamped with the money of 30,000 Muslims. The owner of the firm has escaped," Ashoka said, addressing a gathering.

The protestors also raised the JSW land sale issue.

While welcoming the government's decision to review the land sale, they said the government should make sure that every inch of the land is recovered.

Caught in a bind over the controversial land deal, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Tuesday (June 11) said the government's decision on sale of 3,667 acres to JSW will be reconsidered and placed before the Cabinet once again for discussion.

After the protest rally, the BJP leaders and workers proceeded to stage a sit-in at the Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat complex, when they were arrested.

Later, they were released, police said.

“Earlier we had decided to stage a three-day demonstration but we will hold the protest on June 14 and 15 because all the MPs are going to Delhi on June 16," Yeddyurappa had said.