From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Nagamangala/Mandya, Mar 21: A day after Horticulture Minister Munirathna decided to shelve his project of producing a film on the two Vokkaliga chieftains Urigowda-Nanjegowda, who had supposedly killed Tipu Sultan, following the advice from the Vokkaliga community’s Adichunchanagiri Mutt Seer Sri Nirmalananda Swamiji during a personal meeting as it would damage the image of the community, KPCC Chief D K Shivakumar visited the Sri AdichunchanagiriKalabhairaveshara Temple in Nagamangala along with his wife Usha to offer pooja on Tuesday.

Speaking to media persons after offering pooja, the KPCC Chief said the community’s Seer should take the lead in the fight against the nefarious moves of some BJP leaders to project Vokkaliga community’s Urigowda-Nanjegowda as the killers of Tipu Sultan and thereby project the community as collaborators with the colonial British rulers, and said he would quit his post and take the lead in launching the fight the Seer does not do it.

``The Adichunchanagiri Mutt Seer Sri Nirmalananda Swamiji is our spiritual leader, guide and philosopher. The Seer should not call anybody for discussion and compromise. It is his moral and spiritual responsibility to protect dignity and honour of the community. Nobody should be allowed to vilify the community and it will never be tolerated,’’ he said urging the Seer to take the lead in fighting to protect the interests, dignity, honour and self-respect of the community along with all organisations and other religious leaders.

Answering questions, he said he visited the Sri AdichunchanagiriKalabhairaveshara Temple to pray for the well-being of the people along with his wife on the occasion of Ugadi festival. ``I have great respect for religion, mutts and gods. The Mutts are doing much more work than the government,’’ he said.

To a question on Urigowda and Nanjegowda, Shivakumar said the Vokkaligas are not cowards and termed C T Ravi as Urigowda and Ashwath Narayan as Nanjegowda. They are writing a new script and another person is ready to produce the film. ``My only request is our Seer should take the lead in fighting to protect the community’s honour and self-respect. We condemn the move to euologise fictional characters of Urigowda and Nanjegowda, and thereby bring communal hatred and enmity,’’ he said.

Asked about the move to introduce subjects on Urigowda and Nanjegowda in the textbooks, he said: ``I don’t know who these characters are. You should ask C T Ravi or Ashwath Narayan or their teachers.’’

Shivakumar said the Congress party’s first list will be finalised in a day or two.

Asked about BJP leader BaburaoChinchansuru joining the Congress party, the KPCC chief said he was in the Congress and became a minister in the party. He had left the party due to some differences and now he is rejoining. He will be a big asset to the party. There is a bright future for Congress and therefore leaders from other parties, including sitting BJP MLCs are resigning and joining the party, he said.