From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jan 9: Ignoring the threats of arrests and obstacles from the ruling BJP and the State Government, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee led by its President DK Shivakumar and Opposition Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah on Sunday launched its much publicised 10-day padayatra demanding early implementation of Mekedatu drinking water project.

The Congress party leaders assembled at Sangama – the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathy rivers in Kanakapura, the home constituency of KPCC Chief Shivakumar in Ramanagara district, before the launch of the padayatra by beating the drums.

The padayatra was launched by Hindu, Muslim and Christian religious leaders by watering plants on the stage while political leaders marked the launch by beating a drum.

The State Congress party disregarded the weekend lockdown clamped by the Basavaraj Bommai regime in view of the rising Covid pandemic cases and the high positivity rates and the Ramanagara district administration had imposed section 144 restrictions to prevent the crowds gathering. The State Government has also banned all rallies, dharnas and demonstrations besides clamping other restrictions.

A large crowd of Congress workers and legislators, most of them wearing face masks while some did not, had gathered at Sangama in Kanakapura, about 100 kms from Bengaluru. Apart from Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, the Congress party’s Rajya Sabha leader M Mallikarjuna Kharge, former State Congress presidents Allum Veerabhadrappa, Dr G Parameshwar and Dinesh Gundu Rao as well as KPCC Working President B Ramalinga Reddy, former minister RV Deshpande and other legislators as well as Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh and others participated in the padayatra.

Shivakumar, who was among the earliest to arrive at the venue along with his brother DK Suresh, who arrived much before others, took a dip in river Cauvery and offered pooja. The KPCC Chief carried specially designed the padayatra flag in a coracle to the Sangam before proceeding to the dais.

The 100- kms padayatra will pass through the largely Vokkaliga dominated 15 Assembly constituencies in the Old Mysore Region before culminating at Basavangudi on January 19 with massive public meeting in the city. On the first day, the padayatra will stop at Doddaalanahalli.

The Rs 9,000 crore Mekedatu drinking water scheme involves construction of balancing reservoir at Mekedatu to impound excess water flowing to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Besides ensuring drinking water supply to Bengaluru and other districts in the vicinity, it will also generate power. The project has been opposed by Tamil Nadu, the lower riparian State in the Cauvery river basin.

Speaking at the inauguration of the padayatra, Kharge said it was unfortunate that an unnecessary controversy has been stoked by Tamil Nadu by opposing the project that is set to help both the States.

Siddaramaiah detailed the work of his Government during his five year tenure with respect to the Mekedatu project and accused the BJP of not doing anything since the last two-and-a-half years.

The BJP is delaying the project to gain a foothold in Tamil Nadu. “The padayatra will not stop at any cost and whatever efforts that there BJP Government makes,’’ he declared.

Shivakumar, who has been meeting religious pontiffs to drum up support besides various organisations even as the padayatra was being planned, said there is no politics in the padayatra. It is actually a walk for water for the 2.5 crore population of Bengaluru and other places. He also recalled the Congress contribution to irrigation sector, pointing out that 20 of the total 26 reservoirs in the state was built during Congress regimes.

Siddaramaiah, however, walked only for a short stretch and went back as he was having fever and pain.

Bommai dubs ‘political gimmick’

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai dismissed the Congress padayatra flouting all norms as ‘’nothing but a political gimmick’’ and said the party cannot fool the people all the time when it precious little to implement it when it was in power in the State.

Speaking to media persons in Bengaluru, he said: "The Congress government failed to submit a proper DPR during its 5 year term. It has no commitment. DK Shivakumar himself was the Water Resources minister in the previous coalition government and then too no concrete action was taken in this regard. The party had not bothered to raise its voice for the project in the last 3 years."

Now as the assembly elections are approaching, he said the Congress party has woken up and is taking the padayatra with political motivation. A sense of guilt is haunting them as they had not done anything for implementing the project during their reign in power. So they are out to fool the people. "This is a political Padayatra,’’ he said.

The Congress has not worked with commitment for any irrigation project. They had vowed to provide Rs 10,000 crore for Upper Krishna Project during their Krishna padayatra. But in their 5 year term, they failed to release even Rs 7000 crore, Bommai said.

“BJP has proved its commitment for the Mekedatu project. After I became the Chief Minister, the DPR has been sent for approval by the Central Water Commission and Cauvery Monitoring Board. A meeting over the project would be held this month and suitable decisions are expected. State government has geared up on the legal front too before the Supreme Court," Bommai said.

In the past, the National Green Tribunal had taken a serious view on just a visit of some farmers' outfits to the project site and had issued a stay order for the project. Now Congress has launched a programme on a large scale and the Congress leadership is aware of the consequences. But still politicking remains to be their priority, Bommai said.

The Chief Minister said the Congress would not have launched the Padayatra if the leaders were sensible about the legal issues of inter-state water dispute, Cauvery Tribunal award and court orders involved in the Mekedatu project. But Congress leaders are interested only in politics. People will take the call on this issue, Bommai said.

Congress could not prepare even a DPR when it was in power. "As a saying goes 'digging a mountain to catch mice', all they did was to prepare a feasibility report of the project," the Chief Minister said.

A notice has been served for Congress party against taking out the Padayatra violating Covid norms. Action in accordance with law would be taken against any violation, Bommai said.

Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said those leaders who have congregated at Sangam should apologise to the people for delaying the project. He also warned of action against those violating the pandemic norm, he said,