Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (DV/KK)
Mangalore, Apr 10: “In making the use of caste politics, the BJP has contributed immensely to the Billawa community,” said Harikrishna Bantwal, the Congress district spokesperson.
Addressing a press meet at the district Congress office here in the city on Thursday April 10, he said, “If the BJP has helped the Billawa community, why did Rukmayya Poojary join hands with Bangarappa and Mulayam Singh’s party and why did he return to the BJP?”
Bantwal questioned, “Why did Rukmayya Poojary not get a seat for the elections in Udupi or Dakshina Kannada and we have not seen Rukmayya Poojary in the mainstream, during the previous elections.”
He added, “They (BJP) want someone to counter Janardhan Poojary and compete with him politically, so Rukmayya Poojary was brought into the mainstream and made him the election campaign committee president.”
“They keep an eye on the Billawas, since it is a major community. But after the elections he will be sent back to Kalladka. They are misusing him and he is being controlled from Kalladka. Those who have an innovative thought will not have place in the BJP,” he said.
He later said, “The Congress has given importance to various communities by giving them a chance as MP’s, MLA’s and ministers. The Congress has made Janardhan Poojary a national leader. Kota Shrinivas Poojary was given a ministerial position only to compete against Halady Shrinivasa Shetty.”
He continued, “Posts comparing Modi to Narayana Guru were uploaded, but if it was done to Ambedkar or Basavana, the whole of Karnataka would not have kept quiet. We would have created violence but we still want peace. God will teach them good lesson.”
“The MRPL, ONGC, airport, port extension, four lane roads are the contributions of Janardhan Poojary to this district. About 8,000 and 15, 000 people are benefitted because of MRPL and ONGC and are serving their family. It was Janardhan Poojary who brought ONGC to the city from Mani Shankar Iyer who wanted to take it to Tamilnadu,” he said.
“Those who have unique thoughts have no space in the BJP; Dhanjay Kumar who was the BJP MP from this constituency is now a member of the JD (S). Sadananda Gowda wanted a ticket from Udupi or Mangalore but was given Bangalore,” he said.
He said that Advani called Modi an autocratic leader while Sudhindra Kulkarni compared Modi to Hitler.
He added, “Do not turn the Billawa youth into criminals by giving them stones instead give them a pen or a book.”
Harikrishna Bantwal said, “He would attain political sanyasa if the BJP proves that their MP candidate has spent Rs 1,300 crores for various projects in the district as per mentioned in his achievement book.”
He added, “A MP gets only Rs 25 crores, but in their book it is said that Nalin Kumar has spent Rs 1,300 crores, which means that every constituency should avail benefits worth Rs 62 lacs.”
He concluded, “Nalin Kumar has no much capacity to avail funds, but Janardhan Poojary does. There is no Modi wave, but here in the district it is a repentance wave which will be realized on April 17.”
P V Mohan, Sanjeeva Poojary, Kalige Tharnath Shetty and T K Sudhir were present for the press meet.