Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Oct 10: The district BJP led by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel on Saturday October 10 began a four-day padayatra in protest against the controversial Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project.
The walkathon was flagged off by district BJP president Pratap Simha Nayak from Shree Brahma Baiderkala Garodi Temple here, by handing over the party flag to MP Nalin Kumar.
Speaking to reporters, Nalin Kumar said, "We will walk 30 km per day and today we will halt at BC Road where we will hold a brief public progamme. Tomorrow (Sunday October 11) morning we will resume our padayatra with Vande Mataram song and halt at Uppinangady, and day after tomorrow (Monday October 12) we will halt at Gundya where a huge public programme will be held. Around 2,000-3,500 people will participate in the public programme. Finally, we will end our padayatra at Yettinahole where around 2,000 people from Sakleshpur will join us in gheraoing the project site.
"We are not taking a big number of people along with us during the padayatra as we do not want to create traffic inconvenience. This campaign is to create awareness about the project and issue a warning to the government," he added.
"People from Kolar should also visit Yettinahole and see how much water is available and think about how much they may get. I also invite former union minister Veerappa Moily, chief minister Siddaramaiah, union minister Sadananda Gowda, BJP state president Prahlad Joshi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to see this place. There is no water and Kolar will not get anything. The government is betraying the people of Dakshina Kannada and deceiving the people of Kolar," he said.
Explaining why the Garodi Temple was chosen as the starting point of the rally, he said, "This is a great sacred place of Tulunadu. Great personalities like Koti-Chennaya, Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi are worshipped here. Hence this place has been chosen for the flagging off of the rally."
Before the start of the padyatra, BJP leaders offered prayers at Koti Chennaya pilgrim centre in Garodi temple, and then to Sri Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi.
The prayers were held in the presence of Sri Gurudevananda Swamiji of Odiyoor Math, Sri Mohandas Swamiji of Manila Math, Sri Rajashekarananda Swamiji of Gurupur Vajradehi Math and Sri Esha Vittaladasa Swamiji of Kemar Math.
Activists Dinesh Holla and M G Hegde, Sullia MLA S Angara, former MLA Mallika Prasad Bhandary, MLC Ganesh Karnik, former MLA Yogish Bhat, former MLA Krishna J Palemar, ZP president Asha Thimappa Gowda and others were present.