Shivamogga police had a tough time on Wednesday when workers of the Congress and the BJP, protesting against each other, came face to face near the BJP office. Workers of the Congress party alleged that BJP workers attacked them.

Congress workers had planned to picket the BJP office as part of their protest demanding the arrest of RDPR Minister K.S. Eshwarappa over the death of a civil contractor. The police took Shivamogga District Congress Committee general secretary K. Ranganath and others into custody before they could reach the spot.

Another team of workers led by State Youth Congress general secretary M. Praveen Kumar, party’s district president H.P.Girish and others attempted to reach the BJP office. They were stopped by the police. A team of the BJP also came running towards them raising slogans against the Congress. Both the factions entered into heated arguments on the street. The police took Congress workers into custody.

Mr. Girish told the media that Congress workers were assaulted by the police and BJP workers.