Bagalkot: With more than a lakh people converging at this holy site for the mega convention of the newly formed Sangolli Rayanna Brigade (SRB) on Thursday, senior BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa has received the much needed boost he was looking for to take on party state president B S Yeddyurappa. So much so that he likened Yeddyurappa to Kamsa of the epic, Mahabharat, who tried to kill Lord Krishna soon after his birth.
The massive rally has proved to be a shot in the arm for the Kuruba leader to strike the best possible bargain with BJP central leaders, who will try to broker peace between the warring leaders on Friday. Addressing the meet, Eshwarappa took a pledge to continue the activities of the brigade until Dalits and backward communities get justice.
Referring to Yeddyurappa’s opposition to SRB, Eshwarappa said the brigade has shaken leaders of all political parties in the state within a short span of six month after it took birth. Indirectly taking a dig at the BJP state president, he claimed that several pontiffs were prevented from attending the convention.
“The Brigade is not confined to a single caste or community. We will give befitting reply to our critics by strengthening the organization. Several leaders are getting scared of the brigade though it was launched just six months ago and is still in the womb. Lord Krishna killed Kamsa only after his birth. Our intention is not to kill anyone, but to uplift the weaker sections,” Mr Eshwarappa thundered.
Stating that another mammoth state-level convention of the brigade will be held within the next few months, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be invited to the rally. Lambasting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he said the state government has failed to fulfill its promise to give reservation to the backward classes and Dalits based on their population. Clarifying that there is no connection between the brigade and politics, he said BJP and Congress leaders are unable to tolerate the growth of the organization and have become jealous of it.
