Pic: Rons Bantwal

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (VP)

Mangaluru, Jun 14: KPCC working president Manjunath Bhandary and Congress MP candidate Padmaraj R Poojary echoed concerns regarding the BJP's responsibility in preserving the image of Brand Mangaluru.

Addressing media persons on Friday, June 14, at the Congress office, Manjunath Bhandary stated, "The incident which happened in Boliyar is unfortunate and the Congress party strongly condemns it. Investigation needs to be done, and we should ensure peace in the city. The incident in Boliyar clearly indicates that the BJP party aims to disturb the peace of the district. While everyone has the right to express their feelings if their party wins, it should be celebrated within the boundaries of the law and at appropriate venues. Celebrations should be kept at the party office and not in front of religious places. Winning an election does not give one the right to provoke others, as it only leads to unrest in society. The BJP doesn't want Dakshina Kannada district to progress; hence, they have always used it as a testing ground for their party's experiments."

"You should not provoke people of other communities, and the Brand Mangaluru, which we have all contributed to, should not be defaced," Bhandary said.

Regarding the Boliyar incident, he further added, "No one will stab you if you say 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. No one has the right to take the law into their hands. I request BJP leaders to stop misleading the public."

Bhandary further clarified, "BJP party members say that if Yeddyurappa is imprisoned, then it's good for the Congress party. Although we respect Yeddyurappa, the case was not lodged by the Congress party but by the victim's brother, hence there is no connection between the Court and Congress."

Congress candidate, Padmaraj R Poojary said, "I ask leaders why our district is turning into a hub of religious hatred. The BJP party candidate has won, and we congratulate them. Now, he should focus on development and not provoke the public. He should realize that he is an MP of this district, and his duty is to provide for the people."

"Today, it is important to understand who is suffering because of this. Who is the main reason for this, and only the poor people were hurt by this. The youths should rethink about it. I'm happy to say that Capt. Brijesh Chowta spoke the same things which we have said in our policy in a recent newspaper interview."

Also present at the occasion, Shahul Hameed said, "MLA Harish Poonja had said in a press meet that U T Khader is working only for Muslims. I ask Poonja on what basis he is making these statements. Khader has been elected for 5 terms, and the people have liked him. He has become a speaker and has received many awards in parliament. Poonja has said, 'Hindus should not take anything from Muslims, Hindus should not send their children to Muslim Educational Institutions, Hindus should not sell their property to Muslims,' at an Ayyappa Swamy programme. Today, they claim that weapons have been kept inside mosques, then why haven't you conducted any inspections when you were in power? If you really want, then we welcome you to inspect, and if no weapons are found, then Harish Poonja has to publicly apologize to the people. Usually, a mosque is a huge hall, and there are no hidden rooms in it to store weapons. MLA Harish Poonja has been an MLA for two terms, and in his second term, his votes have gone down. Poonja should realize that he should not entertain people just because they clap for whatever he does."

When the media asked questions regarding the resignation of Harish Kumar, Bhandary said, "As far as I know, Harish Kumar wanted to resign in his previous term. He also said that this position should be given to a deserving candidate. Hence, I spoke to Harish Kumar and instructed him to stay in this post until the upcoming elections."

When the media asked about party members asking for the resignation of Harish Kumar, Manjunath Bhandari and Ivan D'Souza, he said, "Usually, other party members join our groups and say these things to provoke people, and some people forward those messages. When making a president, it is a different story, and this cannot be done just on the basis of some problems. In the Congress party, nobody is hungry for power, and when we entered politics, we had no idea about position, party, or protocols. We joined the party because we believe that it is an instrument to help the poor."

Mamatha Gatty, Shalet Pinto, Joachim D'souza, Shubhodaya Alva, Nazir Bajal, and others were present at the event.