Siddaramaiah, the actor
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s speeches are often quite theatrical, with his body language and voice modulation. His “performance” in the recently concluded session won praise from even national award winning actor Tara. During the discussion on farmers’ loan waiver, Mr. Siddaramaiah started mocking BJP’s claim of winning 150 seats. “What is this Mission 150 Yeddyurappa is talking about?” he asked, shoving his hands into an imaginary Safari suit, imitating BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa. At this point, another BJP Leader K.S. Eshwarappa sought to know whether Mr. Siddaramaiah was active in theatre during his college days. A smiling Mr. Siddaramaiah replied that he had acted in a play called Yamadharmarayana Sannidhi, where A.H. Vishwanath, now his political detractor, played the role of a trader. When Ms. Tara suggested that the Chief Minister take up acting, Mr. Siddaramaiah urged her to produce one. Incidentally, he is essaying a short role (as CM) in a children’s film being directed by Kavitha Lankesh.
No naming after politicians
While it has become a trend to name public places and institutions after politicians, Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa (in picture) has politely turned down the suggestion to name the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences in Shivamogga after him. At a programme to lay foundation stone for the new campus of the university in Iruvakki village in the district, Congress MLC R. Prasanna Kumar hailed Mr. Thimmappa’s efforts in passing laws related to conferring title deeds for small and marginal farmers engaged in unauthorised cultivation. It was owing to Mr. Thimmappa’s efforts that the State government had sanctioned 777 acres for the university in Iruvakki to establish the new campus, and ₹150 crore fund to create necessary infrastructure there, he said. He urged the State government to name the university after the former Legislative Assembly Speaker.
Later, Mr. Thimmappa categorically said he was against naming of public assets after him. “It is better not to name education institutions after politicians as a major chunk of them have failed to set forth good precedence in public life,” he candidly said.
Headache for policemen
While an uneasy calm prevails in Bantwal taluk, including Kalladka town that witnessed communal skirmish recently, the police are increasingly complaining of political interference in maintenance of law and order. District in charge Minister B. Ramanath Rai giving outgoing Superintendent of Police Bhushan Gulabrao Borase a ‘class’, video clippings of which went viral on social media, has only highlighted the delicate condition under which the police discharge their duty. Mr. Rai’s directions to arrest a few people during that ‘class’, has not gone down well with the police. Alleged frequent political interference in policing is not new in the district, which has been going on for years irrespective of the political party in power. Whenever an arrest is made in relation to a crime, allegations, cross-allegations, parallel-investigations will be done by various groups on the basis of religion, caste and political affiliation. Interestingly, minority voters are in sizeable numbers in Mangaluru and Bantwal constituencies, and it is now the talk whether another political party is attempting to wean away minorities, who have been traditional Congress voters for years.
Toilets and schools first
Vijayapura district in charge Minister M.B. Patil (in picture) seems to be frustrated with some of his Babaleshwar constituency voters for seeking funds for constructing temples. “I have been asking people to seek funds for schools and toilets and not temples, yet every year, several people come with demand for temples and the list is only growing,” he said in exasperation. Participating in a school programme in his constituency, the Minister asked the people of Babaleshwar to promise him never to come seeking funds for temples. “From now on, I will stop giving money under MLA fund for temples. For me, toilets and schools are more important than temples. Get the temples built using public donation; MLA funds are meant for developing amenities,” Mr. Patil said.
Muralidhara Khajane
Veerendra P.M.
Anil Kumar Sastry
Firoz Rozindar
