Janata Dal (Secular) candidate for the elections to the State Legislative Council from the Karnataka West Teacher’s Constituency, Basavaraj Horatti, has challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party to come out with a list of achievements during their five- year rule in the State.
He told presspersons here on Sunday that BJP leader Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, who was the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education in the BJP government, had no moral rights to level allegations against him during the election campaign.
Mr. Horatti said that it was because of Mr. Kageri that some of the problems of teachers remained unsolved till date. Citing the imbroglio over the implementation of the G. Kumar Naik committee report, he said that the committee was formed by the BJP government in 2011.
However, when its report was submitted, the BJP government did not accept it. “Now, BJP leaders are saying that the formation of the committee itself was a legal mistake. Were they not aware of this at the time of its formation?,” he asked.
Mr. Horatti said that during his tenure as the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, he had formed the Vaidyanathan committee on reforming physical education and when the committee submitted its report, it was accepted and implemented. “The BJP has not really done anything for the education sector or the teachers. I am ready for an open debate,” he said.
About the BJP candidate M. Nagaraj, Mr. Horatti said that he had never been a part of any movement related to teachers so far.
Mr. Horatti would file his nomination papers in Belagavi on Monday.
