Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)
Puttur, Nov 24: General secretary of All India Congress Committee and Rajya Sabha member, Oscar Fernandes, promised to hold discussions with the central leaders in an effort to get central government package for the areca nut growers facing losses because of Koleroga (fruit rot disease). He noted that the state government should have come to their rescue. He was speaking after the Padayatra undertaken by Congress against the despicable state of the state highway stretch between Mani and Sampaje reached the town on Wednesday November 23.
He recalled that Congress has always been fighting injustices on democratic principles, and called upon party activists to uphold democratic norms while fighting against BJP by pinpointing its wrongdoings. He said that the Padayatra organized by the party to draw attention of the concerned about the pathetic condition of Mani-Sampaje highway has rung warning bells for the government.
On this occasion, Oscar also inaugurated the torch parade undertaken by the party activists in the town on Wednesday night.
Addressing the gathering, district president of the party, Ramanath Rai, termed even Sangh Parivar as being as corrupt as BJP, explaining that its leaders are known to accept donations and contributions from leaders. He accused Sadananda Gowda, Dhananjaya Kumar and Nalin Kumar of being responsible for the present chaos in the district through their apathy and inaction. He revealed that his party will soon organize awareness programmes in the district to educate people about the upcoming communal violence prevention bill.
KPCC secretary, Ivan D’Souza, expressing anger at the district administration for not taking the party’s Padayatra programme seriously, warned of obstructing traffic on national highway as a measure of protest, if the district administration officials do not meet the protesting leaders by Thursday evening for holding talks.
Leaders like Bondala Jagannath Shetty, Sutrabettu Jagannath Rai, Mithun Rai, Sriram Pakkala, Gafoor, Mamata Gatti, M S Mohammed, and others, participated.