Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Feb 21: Congress leader Kagodu Timmappa has expressed the apprehension that the BJP might flex its money power in the coming Loksabha election. He was speaking after administering oath to his party workers at the programme held at Veerabhadra Kalyanana Mantap Kinnimulky here, as part of the state-wide 'Vijayadeeksha Campaign' taken up by the Congress, after inaugurating it.
"The chief minister is promising to transform the state into heaven. But the state government has failed to utilize the funds allocated by the union government last year. This is a government that came into being unexpectedly and accidentally. In the Karwar by-election, the government had spent huge amounts. They may seek recourse to the same tactics during the Loksabha election too. However, our workers will fight such attempts by using peoples' power," he declared.
He listed out the failures of the state government as utilization of only Rs 250 crore out of Rs 1,200 crore sanctioned by the central government under the employment guarantee scheme, non-provision of houses to the power under 'Ashraya' scheme, not setting up of various committees and Land Tribunals even after nine months of coming to power, etc.
He asked the workers to introspect on the reasons for the present sorry state of affairs of the Congress, which had a strong base in the past in the state. He asked them to work for the candidate fielded by the party, without insisting that they would work for only the candidates of their choice.
Ex-union minister D K Taradevi claimed, that the 'Vijayadeeksha' programmes are fast transforming into forums to fight against the anti-people government led by Yeddyurappa. She criticized the BJP for raking up the issue of the pending clemency petition of Afzal Guru, by saying that Guru had exercised his right of seeking clemency and that the process of considering his petition is on. She accused the BJP of misleading people for garnering votes.
In his introductory address, Pramod Madhwaraj pointed out that Yashwant Sinha, who was the finance minister in the Chandrashekhar government in 1990, had pledged 30 tonnes of gold and the country could get back this gold only after Dr Manmohan Singh became finance minister in the union government led by P V Narasimha Rao. "The BJP now wants us to invade Pakistan. Why did the NDA government of which the BJP was a constituent, not wage a war against Pakistan when terrorists had invaded the parliament building? In our fight against terrorism, we can not risk to antagonize 20 crore Muslims of the country," he said.
Various leaders including the chief minister Yeddyurappa, Reddy brothers from Bellary, BJP MLAs, MPs etc., came in for bitter criticism and sarcastic and satirical treatment at the programme. Various leaders chose to lampoon the BJP ministers and leaders, a few of whom also sought to make use of prose to drive home their points.
District Congress president M A Gafoor presided. Congress leaders Kabbali Range Gowda, Vasant Salian, I M Jayaram Shetty and others were present. Udupi Block Congress president Diwakar Kunder welcomed. Brahmavar Udayachandra Shetty proposed vote of thanks. Harish Kini presented the programme.