Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (RD)

Udupi, Jun 13: Anti-Nagarjuna committee urged the resignation of home minister Dr V S Acharya at a press conference held here on Thursday June 12 afternoon. 

Vijaykumar Hegde, executive president of the committee, alleged that newly-appointed home minister Dr V S Acharya had expressed his support only for gas-based power plant and not for coal-based power plant proposed to be set up by Nagarjuna Power, in the presence of BJP activists during poll campaign. However, after resuming the charge of home minister, he has changed his stance on Nagarjuna in the media despite being informed of the atrocities committed by contractors of Nagarjuna on locals at the project site, Hegde alleged. 

Moreover, Dr Acharya has recommended hard measures to be taken on Naxals who are 'rogues in a democratic country like India'.  However, the police firing on innocent farmers during their protest against shortage of chemical fertilizer on Tuesday June 10 at Haveri, was a clear violation of human rights.  Dr V S Acharya was found to be soliciting blessings from religious leaders and visiting centers of worship on the day of police firing on farmers. Dr Acharya should tender his resignation on moral grounds, demanded Vijaykumar Hegde.

The committee demanded that Dr V S Acharya should be replaced with local BJP leaders, either Halady Srinivas Shetty, Udupi Raghupati Bhat or Lalaji R Mendon. 

Former minister Vasant V Salian, Nagesh Rao, Harish Kumar Padukere and others were present.