BJP has neglected development: Kumaraswamy
The Hindu
BANGALORE, Sep 9: At least 1,500 members of Janata Dal (Secular), under the leadership of the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, held a protest rally in the city, criticising the State Government on various issues.
“The Bharatiya Janata Party Government is mulling transferring public properties to maths. It has completely neglected the development of the State through its undemocratic stand,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said.
Addressing the gathering across the rally, from Race Course Road to K.R. Circle, the former Chief Minister alleged that the government had neglected the interests of farmers and development of villages.
“Farmers were killed in police firing in State, though B.S. Yeddyurappa took oath in the name of farmers. The government has failed to supply sufficient quantity of fertilizers to the farmers. Moreover, though hundreds of farmers ended their life by committing suicides, this government has failed to announce support prices to agricultural produce,” he alleged.
“Today’s protest is just a sample. The party has resolved to hold protests rallies and agitations across the State against the state BJP Government. We will intensify our programmes. The achievements of this government are nothing,” he added.
The protesters displayed placards against Mr. Yeddyurappa and his cabinet colleagues.
C. Narayana Swamy, Srikant Murthy, Andanappa, Gopalappa and other leaders of the party were present.
Traffic hit
The central and western parts of the city experienced a traffic gridlock following the protests by farmers and Janata Dal (Secular) workers on Monday. Added to that was the traffic diversion for the annual feast at St. Mary’s Basilica.
A large number of farmers under the aegis of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) and Hasriu Sene came to the city to protest against the fall in the prices of potato, sugarcane and tomato.
The Janata Dal (Secular) workers were protesting against the failure of the B.S. Yeddyurappa Government to address peoples problem in the last 100 days of governance.
Withdrawn
The farmers from places such as Hassan and Chikmagalur districts came in buses and tempos and assembled in the Palace Grounds. They had planned to take a rally towards Vidhana Soudha around 9 a.m. but the farmer organisations decided to withdraw the protest following an assurance from Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa to provide relief.
The movement of vehicles bringing the farmers to the Palace Grounds affected the movement of traffic in areas including Mekhri Circle, Hebbal, Yeshwanthpur, Rajaji Nagar and Rajankunte. “I left Yelahanka around 8.30 a.m. It has taken two hours to reach the Richmond Circle,” said K. Alaka, who is working for Siemens.
A good number of Janata Dal (Secular) supporters took out a protest rally from Janata Dal (Secular) office and K.R Circle. The rally was led by the former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. This affected vehicular movement on Old Post Office Road, Nrupatunga Road, Kempe Gowda Road and Mahatama Gandhi Road.
The KPRS activists held their protest at Mysore Bank Circle.
The protestors accused the government of not showing interest to protect the interest of farmers, who are suffering owing to the fall in prices of potato, tomato and sugarcane.
Commuters stranded
The protests held between 9.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. put the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus commuters to lot of hardship. Many commuters were found stranded on Kempe Gowda Road as BMTC buses were stranded on the road.
Udupi: JD(S) slams BJP for ‘poor’ performance
Udupi: The Udupi district unit of Janata Dal (Secular) staged a dharna against the alleged poor performance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in the State, in front of Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Monday.
In-charge of the district unit of the party Deviprasad Shetty said that the killing of two farmers who took part in the protests against the non-availability of fertilizers in Haveri was an “achievement” of the BJP Government, which was completing its 100 days in power. Its efforts in luring the MLAs from the Opposition parties under the so-called “Operation Kamala”, was a day-light murder of democracy.
The policies of the BJP favoured the urban areas and neglected the rural areas. The Government had failed to provide ration cards to below poverty line families. It had not provided rice at Rs. 2 a kg as promised. Its move to install meters on irrigation pump sets was aimed at fleecing money from farmers, he said. The BJP, which had raised a hue and cry over the setting up of coal-based thermal power plants at Yellur in Udupi district, Tadari in Uttara Kannada district and Chamalapura in Mysore district, when in Opposition, was now actively supporting them. The crime graph had been rising in the State. The National Highway 17 was in an extremely poor shape, but the Government had turned a blind eye on the movement of ore-laden lorries on it. Grandiose announcements without action-plan to back them were the other achievements of the Government. “It is a Government which lacks direction and purpose. It has failed on all the fronts,” Mr. Shetty said.