Cong. leader Ugrappa faces protest during his visit to Shivamogga

On Thursday, a group of protestors attempted to disrupt the visit of former MP and Congress leader V.S. Ugrappa to Shivamogga. The gatherers, mostly from the Bhovi community, allegedly disrupted his vehicle and blocked it near the Deputy Commissioner’s office, close to the Shivamogga Press Trust office. The protestors, led by Pujar, Budigere Basavaraj and others, accused Ugrappa of making disparaging remarks about their community and favoring the extension of reservation to an unrelated community under the "Bhovi" tag. They called for protests and the display of black flags whenever Ugrappa visited.

The police intervened to clear the way for Ugrappa's vehicle. The incident caused minor disruption to traffic on the road. Following the protest, Ugrappa clarified that as head of a legislature committee, he had actually recommended reservation for Bhovi and related communities. He claimed that the protest was likely organized by misled individuals for political motives.