Bellary: Sriramulu’s Tonsure Bug Bites Bellary’s 40 BJP Workers
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
BELLARY, JUL 29: The Bellary mining lord’s campaign to counter the ``Bellary chalo, BJP hatao” yatra of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee to mobilise public opinion against illegal mining by launching the ``Swabhimani Bellary Yatra” under which Karnataka’s health and family welfare minister B Sriramulu tonsured his head and started wearing black cloth and decided to go barefoot and eat pulses and dryfruits, seems to have affected the BJP workers with as many as 40 persons shaving off their heads on Thursday.
There were reports of party workers from other parts of the Bellary district and other districts tonsuring their heads as a show of support to their leader Sriramulu.
The Bellary Reddy Brothers’ led yatra which was launched from Chellgurki, near Bellary, in the presence of Sriramulu and Tourism and Infrastructure Development Minister Gali Janardhana Reddy and Revenue Minister Gali Karrunakara Reddy and other MLAs and leaders.
Addressing a large gathering of BJP workers at the village ground near Yarri Thaatha (Swamy) Temple, Sriramulu declared that they had accepted the challenge thrown by the Congress leaders and decided to counter the false propaganda over the issue of mining business.
"This nothing but a deep-rooted conspiracy hatched by the Congress leaders, whose ultimate goal is to dislodge the BJP’s one and only regime in South India,” he said amidst thunderous applause from the crowd.
Sriramulu, a close associate of Bellary Reddy Brothers, said none of them had been indulged in the illegal mining. ``Our business is completely transparent. Even if an iota of truth is found in the allegations, we will not continue in the power even for a minute,” he declared
Terming Governor Hans Raj Bhardhwaj as ``Congress agent,” Sriramulu said the former had degraded the honour of the high office. He was not discharging his duty in the right spirit of the parliamentary democracy. Instead of being a guardian of the Constitution Bharadhwaj had become subservient of the Congress, which was highly condemnable.
Janardhana Reddy said the BJP regime in the State had initiated number of developmental schemes including Arogya Kavacha 108, an emergency medical service through ambulance and Vajpayee Arogya Shree, a medical insurance scheme meant for poor.
He said the Congress leaders were demanding Lokayuta probe into alleged illegal mining in the State. However, when the State Government readily agreed to the demand, they changed their stance. They were now hell-bent on CBI inquiry so that they could use the agency as tool to harass the political opponents.
The Congress leaders were afraid of Lokayukta probe as they knew they would be exposed.
In its earlier report, the Lokayukta had exposed the true colour of many Congress leaders who had indulged in illegal mining. The mining business was monopoly of the Congress for decades. They were the real culprits, who looted the mining wealth of the country, he charged.
Karunakara Reddy said they had to come to people as the Opposition did not allow them to place facts on the issue of mining in the legislature.
Bellary MLA Gali Somshekhara Reddy said they would go to any extent to safeguard the interest of local people.
BJP MLAs Suresh Babu, Nagendra, Nemiraj Naik, Somalingappa and Chandrappa, MLC Mrityunjay Jinaga, former MP Kolur Basavanagouda, BUDA chairman Gurulinganagouda and others participated.