From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 4: A helicopter in which state Congress chief and former minister D K Shivakumar, KPCC working president, Ishwar Khandre, Saleem Ahmed and Congress MLC U B Venkatesh were returning to Bengaluru after visiting Davanagere made an emergency landing near T Begur at Nelamangala on Friday evening due to inclement weather. All the Congress leaders, however, escaped safely and drove back to city for their pre-scheduled meeting with state Governor Vajubhai Vala an hour late.

The KPCC chief and other Congress leaders had flown to Davanagere to participate in the Covid vaccination campaign organized by senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa in the afternoon. The helicopter in which the Congress leaders were flying could not get permission to land at the HAL Airport in the city due to inclement weather.

The Congress leaders are meeting the Governor to register their protests against the centre’s policies on vaccination and also to demand free vaccination to all citizen. They are submitting a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind through Governor Vala.

Earlier, Shivakumar formally inaugurated the vaccination campaign organized by senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa at Davanagere and also took the second dose of vaccination. "I am fortunate to have got my second dose of vaccine in Davanagere,’’ he said.

DKS indirectly attacks CP Yogeshwar

The KPCC chief indirectly attacked tourism and environment minister, C P Yogeshwar without directly mentioning by his name by saying, "A minister took a CD to show to a Swamiji in Mysuru for the sake of power and the Swamiji has rebuked him (the minister). It is very shameful that the minister took the CD to the Swamiji.’’

Speaking to reporters in the afternoon at the Bapuji MBA Helipad in Davanagere in the afternoon, Shivakumar said: "The minister is supposed to have taken the CD which is being referred to by MLA Basavaraj PatilYatnal to Mysuru.’’

Answering a question from reporters on whether he was referring to minister Yogeshwar, the KPCC chief quipped: "Yes, the same minister Yogeshwar.’’

It may be recalled that senior BJP leader and MLA Basavaraj Patil Yatnal has been gunning for chief minister B S Yediyurappa and has openly criticized the latter besides claiming that the party high command will be replacing Yediyurappa soon.

Bureaucrats doing what ministers, MLAs are doing!

Asked about the public spat between Mysuru deputy commissioner Rohini Sindhuri and Mysuru City Corporation commissioner, Shilpa Nag, both IAS officers and the reported threat from the latter to tender her resignation on being sidelined by the deputy commissioner, Shivakumar said: "What is happening in Mysuru is a reflection of what is happening in the state. Tell me what are all the ministers doing? Or tell me what all MLAs are doing. It is said 'Yatha Raja, Tatha Praja' (the people are doing what the rulers are doing) and bureaucrats are doing just as what the ministers and MLAs are doing. Very sad.’’

The KPCC chief took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pointed out that the country clapped and lighted candles and lamps when the country faced the corona pandemic last year. "The epic Mahabharatha lasted 18 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to eradicate the corona pandemic in 21 days. Now, people are forced to struggle and wait for the vaccines.’’

Speaking after inaugurating the free vaccination campaign organized by senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, the KPCC president wondered why the BJP leaders were not talking as to how the corona pandemic came to India even though it is destroying the world and killing people. 

PM Modi failed to keep his promises

"The people of the country reposed their faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, In the Lok Sabha the strength of Congress is hardly 30 to 40 while BJP has 400 MPs. Everybody thought and believed that Modi will do wonders and empower the country. But he did not do anything of the sort,’’ he said.

Shivakumar said not just Prime Minister Narendra Modi but even chief minister B S Yediyurappa did the same. "We believed Yediyurappa. The chief minister said the state will vaccinate people between the ages of 18 to 44. But now, even online registration for vaccination has been stopped. Both the state and central governments have failed to keep their promises on vaccination. Do not be duped by false claims and promises,’’ he said.

In the evening, the Congress party delegation called on Governor Vajubhai Vala and submitted a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind demanding free vaccination to all people.

KPCC working president, B Ramalinga Reddy, Ishwar Khandre, Saleem Ahmed, former ministers, R V Deshpande and H K Patil accompanied KPCC president, D K Shivakumar while meeting the state governor, at Raj Bhavan.