Vokkaligas flex muscle, warn CM Siddaramaiah not to divide community

MYSURU: In an effort to stymie moves to drive a wedge between sub-sects of Vokkaligas, several seers, JD (S) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda, his sons Revanna and Kumaraswamy, Housing Minister M.H. Ambareesh and leaders of various parties addressed a meet organised to unite members of their community on Saturday.

As many as 40,000 Vokkaligas from Old Mysuru congregated at “Kempegowdara Smaranothsava” where Mr Gowda attacked the government for trying to divide the community in the name of caste census, and Mr Kumaraswamy mocked at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, saying it would be impossible for anyone to lure members of a community by merely organising celebrations to mark the birth anniversary of an idol of that community.

All the speakers, however, clarified that the convention was not in response to Jnanpeet awardee Dr Girish Karnad’s statement that Kempe Gowda international airport in Bengaluru should be named after Tipu Sultan.

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