Kalasa Banduri project: No moral right for JD(S), Congress to protest, says BJP

Hubballi: More than a month after violent protests across Mumbai-Karnataka region, all the political parties have launched rallies for the implementation of Kalasa-Banduri project.

Hitting out at Congress and JD(S) leaders, who slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly not giving them a positive response when an all-party delegation met him on the project, BJP leaders held a padayatra in the city on Friday to highlight the failure of the two parties and BJP’s efforts to get the project cleared.

Enraged over JD(S) workers laying siege to their residences, BJP state president Pralhad Joshi and Opposition leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar lashed out at JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and state party president H.D. Kumaraswamy for failing to accompany the all-party delegation that met Mr Modi.

Stating that the JD(S) is trying to hijack the Mahadayi issue despite not taking part in the project foundation laying ceremony, Mr Joshi and Mr Shettar questioned the reason behind the state government not yet filing an interim application before the tribunal to seek allocation of Karnataka’s share of water for drinking purpose.

“AICC president Sonia Gandhi had opposed the Mahadayi project during an election rally in Goa. The Congress leaders are responsible for constituting a tribunal against the wishes of farmers, though the issue could have been settled through negotiations.

They have no moral right to complain against the BJP as Mr Mallikarjun Kharge (opposition leader in the Lok Sabha) never raised the issue in Parliament despite being a prominent leader of the Congress. Also, they never sought the Prime Minister’s intervention during one decade of UPA rule,” Mr Joshi said.

But Congress leader H.K. Patil claimed that the onus is on Mr Modi to convince Goa and Maharashtra governments on the project.

“The state government has the resources to fight legal and political battle on the issue,” he said. Meanwhile, the situation is slowly limping back to normal in Nargund and Navalgund towns, which witnessed violent protests over the last few days.

Farmer unions call for state bandh on September 5

Various farmers’ organisations have called for a Karnataka bandh on September 5 in support of their demands, including implementation of the Kalasa-Banduri drinking water project. The meeting here unanimously decided to observe the bandh to highlight farmers’ issues, like drought, farmer suicides and delay in payment of dues to sugarcane growers.

“We will call upon general public, trade and commercial establishments and others to voluntarily participate in the bandh in the interest of farmers. Our organisations will not force anyone to down the shutters,” said Karnataka Sugarcane Growers’ Association president Kurubur Shanthakumar.

He said farmers were going through a severe crisis because of drought, crop failure, nonpayment of dues to cane growers and non-execution of Kalasa-Bandura drinking water project. “Several organisations in the past have given a call for a state bandh on various issues. But we are doing as it involves the life and death of farmers,” he said.

Mr Shanthakumar said the bandh would be observed from dawn to dusk, but the movement of trains or buses would not be blocked.

“The bandh day also coincides with the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvapalle Radhakrishna. We request teachers to support the cause of farmers. Both the Congress and BJP will not support the protest, as they are in power in Karnataka and at the Centre,” he said. The meeting was attended by farmer leaders.