From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Feb 19: Having completed day two of the Congress party in both Houses of State Legislature demanding the sacking of senior BJP leader and Panchayat Raj Minister KS Eshwarappa for claiming that the saffron flag will be hoisted at the Red Fort, which is meant for hoisting the National Flag since Thursday, State Congress President and MLA DK Shivakumar on Saturday announced that the round-the-clock dharna will continued till Monday and even later till the demand was met.
"We have completed two days of our day-night dharna protest and have entered the third day. We will continue the dharna till the demand for Eshwarappa’s dismissal is conceded," Shivakumar told the media representatives on Saturday.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee Chief made it clear that the demand of the Congress members in Assembly and Council is not for the minister’s resignation. "We will continue the dharna till Monday and even later until the minister is dismissed from the Cabinet. We will not allow the functioning of the legislature proceedings when the national tricolour is insulted and the ruling party is behaving as if it is a big achievement," he said.
The State Congress President said the party will not remain silent when the National Flag, National Anthem and Constitution are insulted because they are the foundation and symbols of our democracy. "If we committed a crime by carrying the national flag during the legislature session, let the government file cases against all us and take legal action. Why they have not anything? But first the government must file a case of sedition against the minister for insulting the national flag," he said.
Shivakumar said the party will hold protests throughout the State and submit memoranda to the Tahsildars in all the taluks on Monday to be forwarded to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot. The agitation will be escalated and spread to all villages, he said.
He condemned the registering of cases against 15-20 Congress workers who staged black flag demonstrations against Eshwarappa and wanted to know why the government did not file sedition case against the minister for insulting the national flag. ‘’Is he (Eshwarappa) bigger than the national flag for which thousands of people had died and sacrificed," Shivakumar asked.
The KPCC Chief criticized the failure of the government in taking action against BJP leaders for organizing programmes in which thousands of the people participated violating all Covid norms and filing cases only against the Congress party leaders and workers.
"I expected the Chief Minister to be impartial. But he has become a pawn and not functioning as the Chief Minister. BJP agenda has become his first priority," he said accusing Bommai of not discharging his duties and oath he had taken to honour the Constitution.
Mekedatu Padayatra from Feb 27
The KPCC Chief announced that the Congress party’s padayatra demanding implementation of the Mekedatu drinking water project will be resumed from February 27.
"We have already informed the Chief Minister and police officers. We have already started our preparations and have begun walking every day morning," he said declaring that the fight is drinking water to Bengaluru and to uphold the cause of farmers.
The ruling BJP is least bothered about irrigation projects in the State or safeguarding the interests of people and farmers. The BJP has double engine government in the State and in Delhi. The government can begin the work instead of making mere promises, he added.