Mounesh Vishwakarma
Pics: Kishore BC Road
Daijiworld Media Network—Bantwal (NM)
Bantwal, Apr 21: “The commuters suffer due to the unsystematic way of collecting money at the toll gate in Brahmara Kootlu. In the name of collection, the toll gate personnel misbehave with women and other commuters. In addition, the members of Bajrang Dal are taking the opportunity to loot people. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) should find a solution to all these persisting problems in three days. If not, we will stage a huge protest at Brahmarakootlu on Friday April 25 at 3 pm,” said zilla panchayat member Chandrashekar Shetty.
Addressing reporters at BC Road, he said, “The NHAI has failed to follow its guidelines. Without providing any basic facility, toll has been collected. The NHAI officials and the contractors are looting the vehicle owners. The contractors have joined hands with the members of right wing groups.”
There are visuals of toll gate personnel consuming alcohol on duty and the bottles are thrown there. The contractor has chosen members of the Bajrang Dal to collect the toll. They have been harassing the people. Purusha Salian and Rajaram Nayak have been acting as the agents of contractors and this has led to many problems,” said Shetty and added that it is condemnable that whenever there is some violence, his name is brought in.
Commenting on the recent assault on toll gate personnel in the wee hours, he said, “If Husainar or others have indulged in this issue, let the police take action against them. Who are the Bajrang Dal to question?”
Congress leaders Mayilappa Salian, Mamatha Gatty, Abbas Ali, Sadashiva Bangera, Padmba Shekar Jain, Madhusudan Senoy, Prashanth Kulal, Janardhan Chedthimar, and Divakar Pabadabettu were among others present at the press meet.
Bantwal: Vandalizing of toll plaza – BJP warns of locking police station
Bantwal, Apr 21: Bantwal constituency BJP committee has criticized the police for its failure to arrest culprits involved with vandalizing of the toll plaza at Brahmarakootlu here. BJP local constituency unit president, G Anand, addressing a press conference on Sunday April 20, accused the policemen of inaction relating to these complaints, and of registering counter complaints against anyone who pursues their complaints. ‘If the situation continues like this, we will lock up the local police station as a mark of protest,’ he warned.
Speaking on the occasion, BJP vice president, Purusha N Salian, noted that this is the second assault on toll plaza staff during the last one month out of the four cases of such assaults so far. He accused the policemen of not arresting the culprits in all these cases because of political pressure. He pointed out that those accused of these assaults are roaming about freely, and warned that the villagers from Kallige-Brahmarakootlu will stage protest by sleeping on the highway unless Shantiyangady Hasainar, main accused, and others involved with this crime, are arrested within two days.
Attacking the National Highways Authority of India, Salian said that the authority had been asked to provide basic facility to the villagers here before the toll plaza began to function, in the form of a protest. ‘The authorities had promised to provide service road, bus stand, under pass road etc to the village before the end of March this year, but failed to keep their promises’ he said.
BJP leaders, Ramdas Bantwal, Dinesh Amtoor, Govind Prabhu, and several others were present.