Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jul 7: “The Supreme Court had banned bandhs in 2002 itself, as they result in losses to the public property, commercial, industrial and other ventures. As BJP, its alliance partners, and the communist parties, had organized countrywide bandh on July 5 in violation of this verdict, the union government should file cases against them in the Supreme Court,” urged veteran Congress leader, Janardan Poojary. He was addressing a press conference at the Press Club here on Tuesday July 6.
He said no organizations or governments are vested with the right to call for a bandh. He wanted Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of the issue and intervene in the matter, if no public interest litigations or cases are filed against the parties to recover Rs 30,000 crore loss the country has suffered, from the concerned. He also felt that the Congress party should have moved a breach of privilege motion against the state government, as the ministers, MPs and legislators had actively participated in the bandh. “The legislature session was adjourned as the BJP MLAs had participated in the bandh. The state has lost Rs 3,000 crore as a result of the bandh. The Chief Minister must be made to reimburse this loss,” he demanded.
He noted that the NDA government that was in power at the centre had increased the prices of petroleum products 25 times between 1998 and 2004. “But, the Congress party has failed to highlight this information and encash this to its advantage,” he lamented. He blamed the state government of violating the Supreme Court directives in implementing cow slaughter ban act in the state, creating problems for the Lokayukta, State Human Rights Commision and Minorities Commission.
He felt that the state government should have lowered its taxes on petroleum products, which is the highest among the southern states, to provide relief to the citizens facing problems because of the price rise.
When the pressmen suggested to him to file a suit on his own, Poojary said that he will not be able to do so because of lack of power. Party leaders, Harikrishna Bantwal, Suresh Ballal, Kallige Taranath Shetty and Arun Coelho were present at the press conference.