Pics: Joshwa D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (ANK)
Mangaluru, Jan 5: Senior Congress leader Janardhan Poojary on Thursday January 5 said that MP Nalin Kumar Kateel should personally apologise to the people of Dakshina Kannada for his 'fire' remarks by visiting each house.
Nalin Kumar was in the eye of the storm earlier this week after he threatened to 'set Dakshina Kannada district on fire' if the culprits behind Karthik Raj's murder were not arrested in 10 days. An FIR was registered against him based on a compaint filed by the Congress. Nalin Kumar later apologised for the comment.
Addressing a press meet here, Janardhan Poojary said, "Nalin Kumar Kateel needs to visit each house and apologise to the people for his fiery comments that he would set Dakshina Kannada on fire. Do you (Nalin Kumar) want Dakshina Kannada to turn into ashes? If you do, then curse will befall upon you for murdering innocent people of the district."
Poojary also urged chief minister Siddaramaiah to provide opportunity to the late minister H S Mahadeva Prasad's wife or son to contest in the re-election on sympathy grounds.
"Thousands bid tearful adieu to the late Mahadeva Prasad during his last rites. Chief minister Siddaramaiah who was also present has witnessed people's emotional adieu to the departed soul. As Mahadeva Prasad was an able minister, Siddaramaiah should give opportunity to his wife or son contest in the re-election on sympathy grounds."
Regarding the Yettinahole project, Poojary said "District in-charge minister Ramanath Rai and water resources minister M B Patil are firm on implementing the Yettinahole project and have said that Yettinahole has 200 TMC of water. Has anyone measured the amount of water in Yettinahole? Being the water resources minister you (M B Patil) and the chief minister have utterly failed in implementing the Mahadayi project. It is better to resign from the post so that the state can survive for long.
"Taking the people of Dakshina Kannada into consideration, Yettinahole project should not be implemented as this move will turn the district into a barren land," he added.
Moving on to national issues, he said that Prime Minister Modi had tried to 'misuse' the CBI in West Bengal and 'hatched conspiracy' against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee to destabilize her government. "But the truth is, Mamata Banerjee alone can destabilize Modi," he said.
Asked to respond to home minister Dr G Parameshwara's controversial statement on the molestation of women on New Year Eve in Bengaluru, Poojary said, "Parameshwara has done a big mistake by making a controversial statement that has further outraged Bengaluru as well as the rest of the country. I had always expressed hopes that Parameshwara would become the next chief minister, but today I regret my words."
Kallige Tharanath Shetty, Karunakar Shetty and others were present.