The Kalaburagi City Police have barred Hindu Jagarana Vedike South Pranth executive committee member Shrikant Shetty of Karkala in Udupi district from entering Kalaburagi city ahead of his scheduled speech at the Hindu Mahaganapati festival on Thursday (October 1).
The 21-day Hindu Mahaganapati festival, organised by a committee in front of the Kalaburagi Fort since September 14, will conclude on October 4. The organisers have been inviting speakers to deliver special addresses during the festival, and Mr. Shetty was scheduled to address the utsav as the main speaker on October 1.
The police action followed reports from the Chowk police and the Assistant Commissioner of Police, North Sub-Division, stating that Mr. Shetty had allegedly delivered provocative speeches at different places in the past, leading to law-and-order concerns. The reports stated that six cases had been registered against him at five police stations between 2021 and 2026 and that a rowdy sheet had been opened against him in 2023 and remained active.
Based on these reports, the Kalaburagi City Police Commissionerate issued an order restricting Mr. Shetty’s entry into the city from September 30 to October 4.
Published – September 30, 2026 08:34 pm IST
