The Opposition Congress on Sunday launched its campaign against two-year-old BJP government in Karnataka with its Bangalore to Bellary padayatra protesting against illegal mining and its administrative failures.
The 320-km padayatra was inaugurated by veteran Congress leaders K Sriramulu and K H Ranganath at the Freedom Park here in the presence of a well-attended gathering of partymen, amid sounds of bugles, beating of drums, bursting of crackers and slogan chanting — “Bellary Bacchao and BJP Hatao”.
Sriramulu, who was a minister in the late D Devaraj Urs ministry and credited with launching a battle against hotel owners for charging higher rates for food items served to customers and fixed prices for every eatables, symbolically handed over a handful of soil to Karnataka Congress Pradesh Committee (KPCC) president R V Deshpande urging upon the party to save “Karnataka from BJP rule”. The ceremony was in tune with Congress’s campaign “walk for saving the state”.
Former minister K H Ranganath handed over a sapling to senior Congress leader and leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, who is leading the “oust BJP” agitation to take up the task for protecting resources of the state, in the backdrop of Congress stir accusing Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa government of its “failure” to check “loot of resources”.
The principle opposition party, to ensure that its movement against saffron party government enjoyed the support of cross section of people and shorn of political barriers, roped in freedom fighters like H S Doreswamy, Jnanapeetha awardee U R Ananthamurthy, noted writer Baragur Ramachandrappa, B T Lalitha Naik, Ravivarma Kumar and C S Dwarakanath, former chairman of Backward Classes Commission. Doreswamy and Anantmurthy slammed the BJP rule and Sriramulu charged the government of focussing its attention towards mobilising resources to fund elections. “The administration has gone astray. There is a need to bring it on track,” Anantamurthy said.
Senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes said “the padayatra is meant to send message to the people about misrule of the BJP government”. The Lokayukta probe had brought forward the issue of irregularity in mining and the chief minister himself has admitted to illegal mining in the state and demanded the government to act.
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Siddaramaiah charged that government betrayed people and allowed illegal mining and illegal export of iron ore. “Yeddyurappa himself conceded that during his regime 15 million tonnes of iron was illegally exported”, he said, and declared the padayatra was not for “political gains, but to awaken the people about the misrule by BJP government, which should quit”.
According to the Congress party, the padayatra will culminate with a rally in Bellary on August 9, coinciding with Quit India Movement day and the message would be “quit BJP from Karnataka.
Quit Corruption and Quit misrule of BJP”.
Former Chief Ministers N Dharam Singh and S Bangarappa and several senior leaders were present during the inaugural function.
Tricolour baloons were released to the air to mark the beginning of the padayatra. The venue had several banners with slogans against mining magnets and Bellary ministers — G Janardhana Reddy, G Karunakara Reddy and B Sreeramulu.
More than 400 police personnel have been providing security cover to the padayatra in the wake of Siddaramaiah petitioning Governor H R Bhardwaj apprehending trouble from ruling party workers. Incidentally, even as the party was preparing for the padayatra today, one of the senior leader Ram Bhat collapsed and was rushed to a hospital.