Bagalkot: A farmer allegedly hit a first division clerk (FDC) of Bagalkot Town Development Authority (BTDA) with a slipper during a protest in Navanagar, Bagalkot, Saturday. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.The incident occurred when Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) activists were picketing the BTDA office, demanding the sanction of sites for Safai Karmacharis that had been pending for a year.Farmer Basappa Doddamani told DSS activists that although his four-acre agricultural land was submerged in the Krishna River 10 years ago, BTDA officials have not released compensation.As a verbal clash broke out with FDC Neelakanth Ankad, Doddamani took off his slipper and hit him. A tense situation prevailed in the office for a while, following which Ankad went to the chairman’s chamber.BTDA chairman Prakash Tapashetti arrived at the spot and tried to convince the farmer. Doddamani alleged that BTDA had released compensation to some other farmers but not to him.DSS activists raised slogans against BTDA over the delay in sanctioning compensation for farmers and sites for Safai Karmacharis.Bagalkot SP Siddarth Goyal said that the BTDA employee Ankad has filed a complaint at Navanagar police station that Doddamani interrupted him from discharging his duties and uttered some unconstitutional words. “Investigation is on over the case” he added.
