Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (MS/HB) 

Udupi, Sep 17: Leaders of various Billava organizations of the district have urged that district in-charge minister position of the Udupi district should be given to minister for Muzrai, Ports and Fisheries, Kota Srinivas Poojary. In addition, the organizations said that Srinivas Poojary is capable of handling the in-charge positions of both Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. The organizations accused five MLAs of Udupi district of being behind nominating Kota Srinivas Poojary as the district in-charge of Dakshina Kannada district instead of Udupi district. 

Speaking at a press conference that was held at the Udupi press club on Tuesday, September 17, Achutha Amin Kalmadi, honorary president of Billava Yuva Vedike, said, "There is a conspiracy behind not giving the district-in-charge position of Udupi district to minister Kota Srinivas Poojary. We do not have any bad opinion about Basavaraj Bommai. But if Kota Srinivas Poojary is made the district in-charge minister, he will do more work. He is very conversant with the issues of his native district,”

"There is information that a letter was sent by the MLAs of the Udupi district to CM Yediyurappa. That is why this decision was taken. We will meet 10 political leaders of the state and pressurize them to make Kota Srinivas Poojary as the district in-charge minister of Udupi again,” he added. 

"The government should take a note of the work was done by Kota Srinivas Poojary in the past. If there is no change in the stance, we will call a meeting on September 19 and decide the future course of action," he said. 

B N Shankar Poojary, president of Sri Vishwanatha Kshetra Katapadi, said, "Five MLAs of Udupi district have to pressurize the government in this respect. It is an insult to the Billava community of making Kota Srinivas Poojary as the district in-charge minister of Dakshina Kannada district. He has the capacity to take every one along with him. If any one of the five MLAs of the district had been the in-charge minister, then there would not have been any objection. Whatever is the case, Kota Srinivas Poojary has to be district in-charge of Udupi district again." 

Expressing his rage, former president of Udupi city municipality, Kiran Kumar said, "If the five MLAs had even an ounce of self-respect, they should have questioned the appointment of minister Kota Srinivas Poojary as the district in-charge minister of Dakshina Kannada district. But they have not done that. The conspiracy to harass the Billava community is being hatched repeatedly. This is an insult to the district of Udupi. The politics without self-respect is not right." 

Naveen Ameen, Shankarapura Billava Parishad president, Praveen Poojary, president Billava Yuva Vedike and Harish were present on the occasion.