Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Jun 13: BJP Mangaluru North block on Tuesday June 13 staged a protest opposite zilla panchayath here against MLA Mohiuddin Bava over the issue of his distributing notebooks with his pictures on them to students in his constituency allegedly to gain political mileage. The protestors demanded that Bava take back the books.

Addressing the protestors, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel condemned Bava's action and said, "I am not blaming Bava for distributing books to the students but the intention behind distributing the books is totally condemnable. Congress has reached a new low level by playing petty politics in education too.

"Bava distributed the notebooks with his pictures on them to infleunce the students and their parents politically. During the past 4 years of his tenure, he did not donate any books to the students, but now that elections are inching closer, he has misused his power and also misused the school in his constituency to gain political mileage. He is indirectly using school children to campaign in a bid to retain his Assembly seat. This act is against the law and I urge him to take back the distributed books which carry his pictures. If Bava donates books with a good intention without any propaganda, I will come forward and garland him."

BJP Mangaluru North block president Bharath Shetty alleged that Bava that has misused his powers to gain political mileage by distributing free books with his pictures to students.

BJP leader Ganesh Hosabettu said, "Bava has misused school children for his own political benefits and we demand stringent action against the MLA. There are a lot of pending development works in his constituency, but instead of completing them, he is busy doing unwanted things for political mileage. There is no proper drainage facility in 9 wards of the MLA's constituency. He also promised to donate books, bags and umbrellas in the coming years. Let him say whose money he is spending to distribute books, bags and umbrellas,"

BJP leaders Janardhana Gowda, Rama Amin, Prakash, Satyajith Suratkal, Pooja Prashanth Pai, Tilak Raj, Rajesh Konchady and others were present.

On his birthday recently, Mohiuddin Bava distributed notebooks to children carrying his images and publicity material. After facing flak for using school supplies as propaganda, Bava on Monday June 12 had defended his action saying that he had distributed the notebooks to children for their 'knowledge', so they know who their MLA was. He had said that he had spent from his own pocket to distribute the books.