Pics: Umesh Marpalli

Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB)

Udupi, May 9: President of Vishwakarma Okkoota Udupi Alevoor Yogesh Acharya said that they have been neglected by political parties as they are a minority community.

Addressing media on Tuesday, May 8, he said, “What baffles me is that all the political parties in their speeches or in any stage programmes speak very high of us and honor us with mementos. But when it comes about giving us a position or letting us compete in elections, these parties tend to turn their backs.

“In one of the newspapers, a report of the survey conducted for number of voters on the basis of caste was mentioned and it was observed that the number of voters belonging to Vishwakarma community was printed lesser than the actual number. We would like to clarify the fact that there are 63,500 voters approximately in Udupi district as per the records of Sri Kalikamba temples’ governing body.

“We had even written to political parties to include a few demands for the development of our community in their respective manifestos. But we were not even assured that,” he said.

Vice president U K S Seetaram Acharya, Prakash Acharya, Arun Acharya, Satish Acharya Mandarti and Nityananda S Acharya were also present at the press meet.