Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (HB/KK)
Udupi, Apr 5: Udupi–Chikmagalur constituency Congress candidate Jayaprakash Hegde on Saturday April 5 said that the BJP should think twice before making baseless statements against Congress.
Addressing a press meet here in the city on Saturday March 5, he said, "The opposition party says that the Congress did not raise any questions in the parliament, but have they not looked into the Lok Sabha website and newspapers.
He also said that the Congress has a copy of the affidavit it filed, which makes no mention of areca ban, and that it only contains information about effects of nicotine and tobacco. "We had discussed about general issues like damages caused by elephants and waste disposal," he said.
He said allegations regarding areca ban and encroachment of land in Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency hold no water.
He said it was during former minister H D Kumaraswamy's tenure that it was made illegal to live in a government land, and later during D V Sadananda Gowda's reign, the amendment was brought into practice. After Congress came to power in the state, it allowed people staying in government lands to file for title deeds within three months, he said, adding that BJP was spreading false allegations that the government has been trying to evict people on government lands.
“A forest village committee should be established for safeguarding the tribal s and it is also necessary to rehabilitate those living on government lands,” he said.
Jayaprakash Hegde also said that he facilitated the setting of a sub-branch of the Mangalore University in Thenkanidiyur College.
Superstar Darshan will visit Malpe on Sunday April 13, while S M Krishna and Parameshwara may visit the place in the days to come, he said.
The party will release its manifesto which will include pending work of the previous party along with the new developmental projects estimated at a cost of Rs 581 crore, he said.
MLA Pramod Madhwaraj, district Congress representative Bhaskar Rao Kidiyur, Satish Amin Padukere, Janardhan Bhandarkar, Ganesh and others were present.