Left and Dalit, farmers' and progressive organisations marked the International Anti-Corruption Day in Karnataka by holding protest against the BJP governements corruption. Later it was decided to hold a harthal on the day, but due to the election code of conduct, it was decided to hold protest meet across the state.
The parties staged two parallel coordinated protests against the State Government's alleged corruption in Bangalore.. The agitators decided to split into two groups and stage dharnas at two locations after the police refused them permission to congregate at the Vidhana Soudha.
The first group of protesters, led by the CPI and the CPI (M), marched from the Mysore Bank Circle to the Gandhi statue near the Ananda Rao circle.
Caste politics
Addressing this gathering, CPI State secretary Siddangouda Patil said that the BJP in Karnataka had ceased to be a political party and had become a “party of one community”. He said: “Chief Minister B.S. Yedyyurappa has become the Chief Minister of the Lingayat community.” The State BJP is holding the central leadership to ransom by using caste politics.
He accused the BJP of vitiating the State's political landscape by mixing “divisive sectarian ideology” with “remorseless land grab and blatant corruption”.
CPI (M) leader Maruti Manpade appealed to voters to send out a strong message to the ruling party by defeating its candidates in the forthcoming zilla panchayat elections. “The people of the State should not miss out on this opportunity,” he said.
The second protest was led by the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha. Members and leaders of Dalit organisations such as the Samata Sainik Dal and the Dalit Sangharsha Samiti were also present at this gathering.
Police criticised
Addressing the gathering, Samata Sainik Dal president M. Venkataswamy criticised the police for curtailing the scope of the protest. “The police are acting like an agent of the State Government,” he said.
KRRS leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar said people of the State had run out of political options. “As far as corruption is concerned, there is no difference between the JD(S), Congress and the BJP,” he said. Leaders at both protests echoed Mr. Chandrashekhar's sentiment and called for a non-Congress, non-JD(S) political formation.
There was some tension at the protests when the agitators threatened to storm the Vidhana Soudha following the failure of a government representative to show up and accept their memorandum. The police finally managed to soothe tempers by allowing a delegation to meet the Governor and submit their memorandum.
Chitradurga
Members of the Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha, staged a dharna at the Mahata Gandhi circle in Chitradurga.
Somaguddi Rangaswamy, leader of CPI(M), said at a public meeting that the BJP government was promoting caste-based politics in the State.
Ever since Mr. Yeddyurappa became the Chief Minister, he was being projected as the leader of a particular community and not the people. Referring to the open support offered by the seers of a few maths to the Chief Minister, Mr. Rangaswamy said that those seers had lost credibility by doing so. He said that the allegations of corruption on Ministers and officials had tarnished the image of Karnataka at the national level. Even the Congress at the Centre was no better, as far as corruption was concerned. “The Congress cannot be considered as a better alternative to BJP in the State,” he said.
CPI leader Chandrappa and KRRS district president Nulenuru Shankarappa were present.
(Courtesy : The Hindu)
