Protest planned against Kittur Utsav organisers

BANGALORE: The descendants of Kittur Rani Chennamma, along with Pramod Mutalik of Sri Rama Sene, have planned to stage a protest against the organisers of the Kittur Utsav. The annual festival is celebrated on the lines of Hampi Utsav.Addressing a press conference, Mutalik said, “We ostracize the organizing committee and the members participating in the Kittur Utsav this year  since they have not mentioned Rani Chennamma’s descendants in the invites of the Utsav and  because the government has not taken measures to maintain the fort.”“According to the Archeology Department, no building can be built within  100 to 200 meters from the fort. But MLA Suresh Marihal has given permission for complexes. It is an insult to Chennamma, the first woman to raise a voice against the colonisers,” he alleged. He said they are planning to stage a hunger strike from October 23 if the government fails to demolish these buildings by then. He also sought felicitation and funds for Chennamma’s descendants.