Curious onlookers gathered to see what was happening. Seventeen persons, who pretended to be the 13 MPs and four Union Ministers from the State, were “auctioned” in public for ignoring the Cauvery issue and not acting in favour of Karnataka’s citizens. Unfortunately, there were no takers for these elected representatives.
The whole exercise was spearheaded by Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj here on Monday.
“The Union Ministers and the MPs from the State have not fought in the interest of the State, let alone their respective constituencies. They are protective only of their position and have done nothing for the State they represent. Since these elected representatives have not done anything for us, we are ‘auctioning’ them here in front of public. The irony is that no one is willing to ‘buy’ them,” said Mr. Nagaraj.
The 17 “fake politicians” were clad in white and black gowns. They also sported stickers on their gowns that read: “Useless Union Minister and MPs”. When The Hindu tried to speak to these “ministers and MPs”, they refrained from responding. They claimed that they have been directed to keep mum.
This, even as Mr. Nagaraj was crying hoarse and questioning citizens if they knew the whereabouts of MPs M. Venkaiah Naidu and Vijay Mallya. He claimed that “in the hour of need”, they nowhere to be found. He demanded that they resign from their respective offices.
Vishwanath A.G., resident of Shimoga, said, “The Union government is partial when it comes to solving the water sharing issue. This is because of political differences, as the BJP government is in power in Karnataka.”