Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (RJP)

Bengaluru, Dec 15: Chief minister Siddaramaiah who was supposed to visit Dakshina Kannada on Sunday, December 14, cancelled his visit at the last minute with a statement from his office saying that he had a sore throat.

The CM had a busy schedule to inaugurate a new library computer centre at Sathya Sai Vihar in Bantwal, participate in the silver jubilee celebrations of Dharmasthala Yoga and Naturopathy College at Ujire and also at the valedictory function of Vishwa Tuluvara Habba in Mangaluru during his Dakshina Kannada visit.

Now rumour mills say that the chief minister cancelled his visit apparently after receiving reports that several organizations in the district were planning to hold protests opposing the implementation of the Netravati river diversion project.

Sources also said that some Muslim organizations had planned to protest against the CM over the recent developments in the city, which apparently led the CM to change plans.

Another source said that the CM had even reached as far as the airport to come to DK, but he suddenly experienced eye pain and decided to cancel the visit.

The CM's advisers reportedly feared that the chief minister would have to encounter the protestors and would have some unpleasant moments during his otherwise perceived pleasant trip.

An official message was conveyed to the organizers only a few hours before the scheduled visit that the CM had a sore throat and he required rest.

The state of CM’s ‘sore’ throat is not known. Rumours doing the rounds say that it was the fear of sore encounters with the protestors which prompted his advisers to cancel his Dakshina Kannada trip.