Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)
Kundapur, Dec 7: Former Karnataka chief minister and MP representing Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency, B S Yeddyurappa, said that a huge crowd of citizens from the state including activists of his party numbering over 60,000 would be laying siege to Suvarna Soudha at Belagavi on December 9 this year.
The protest, which will be led by BJP, will register the people's frustration at and disapproval of the way the Congress government is governing the state, he explained.
He was addressing a meeting of BJP workers organized in the premises of Veereshwara Temple in Gangolli on Saturday December 6.
Yeddyurappa reasoned that the people of the state are agitated over the anti-people policies of the state government. He accused the Congress government of failing do anything to protect the interests of the people relating to the proposed implementation of Kasturi Rangan report, which is set to harm the people. He pointed out that Kerala government has successfully convinced the Supreme Court about the lacunae and disadvantages of the said report, whereas Karnataka has failed to do anything. 'The Supreme Court has set deadline of December 15 for presenting our views on the said report. The government should undertake initiatives immediately to consult the opposition parties on the issue and present a strong stand supported by facts in the Supreme Court,' he stressed.
He accused the present government of discarding a number of people-centric schemes implemented by the previous BJP government headed by him in the past. He charged the state government of failing to meet promises made to sugarcane growers by it, and announcing support prices for jowar, paddy etc.
Raising the happenings in Gangolli in a subtle way in his address, Yeddyurappa said the police were not in order in manhandling Ayyappa devotees when they were observing pre-pilgrimage austerities. He advised the Congress party to desist from using the minority card to indulge in vote bank politics. He promised the people to bring the ground realities and happenings in Gangolli to the notice of the union home minister, while urging the district administrative to take effective measures to ensure that genuine offenders alone face punishment.
BJP Byndoor constituency committee president, B M Sukumar Shetty, welcomed. Secretary of the committee, Sadananda Uppinakudru, hosted the programme.
Angry BJP workers protest
Yeddyurappa's visit was marred by protest by his own party workers. Just as he was getting down from the dais, hundreds of BJP workers and activists of right wing outfits gheraoed him, expressing dissatisfaction at Yeddyurappa's failure to specifically address the issue of the recent communal unrest at Gangolli and his failure to empathize with them. Some even raised slogans against BJP leaders and some specific police officers.
Assistant state convener of Hindu Jagran Vedike, Satyajit Suratkal, speaking after assuaging the feelings of the cadres, asserted that Hindu organizations have not grown because of the patronage of any political leaders, nor had the activists gathered here to listen to political speeches. He asked party leaders to understand these things. He felt that the party leaders were not justified in not giving a patient hearing, exchanging views and advising activists for the reason that there were problems with their voice.
He asserted that Hindu society will continue to fight against cow slaughter, sale of beef, illegal construction of mosques, and anti-social activities. He also added that the anger of the people was against only a handful of policemen. He pointed out that the department has a good number of efficient officers, and the people in general and Hindu activists in particular owe a duty to give them the respect they deserve.
Hindu Jagran Vedike district convener, Dhananjay Kundapur, Aravind Koteshwar, Mahesh Poojary Kody etc were present.