Silvester D’ Souza

Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur (EP)

Kundapur, Mar 2: Progressive thinkers expressed anguish against the alleged caste based speech in a college by Team Modi founder Chakravarthi Soolibele who is said to have created communal hatred by being a paid speaker for the last several years. There is also dissatisfaction against the college principal who had invited Soolibele
to speak.

College principal Narayan Shetty had invited Soolibele to give a lecture in a programme on February 25 to offer tribute to martyred soldiers in the Pulwama incident. It is alleged that Soolibele in his speech tried to sow seeds of communal hatred among students by fictitious stories. A video clipping of the speech had gone viral. Like-minded people in Kundapur had called a coordination meeting in Kundapur at Ambedkar Bhavan on Friday, March 1 and expressed their anguish.

Journalist Shashidhar Hemmady termed the speech by Soolibele at Bhandarkar’s College as politically motivated. “If the department does not take action against the principal who allowed the speech, it will be like the college is indirect supporting people who give rise to communal tension,” he said.

Ramakrishna Herle opposed use of college campus as the training camp of political party. “Therefore, we have started a movement by informing the college principal,” he said.

Leaders of various parties expressed their opinions in the meeting. Balakrishna Shetty, H Narasimha, Vinod Crasta, Deepak Navunda, Ramesh Shetty Vakwady, Hussain Haikady, Chandrashekar Shetty, Rajesh Vaderahobali, Chandrashekar Kharvi, Prabhaker Kodi, Ganesh Mandon and others were present.