Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday said that the government is making an attempt to displace farmers in the coastal and Malnad belts based on the Kasturirangan report on the Western Ghats. The Congress will fight against this move in the districts concerned, he said.
Speaking at a convention of party workers in Udupi, Mr. Shivakumar said that the party will chalk out district-level programmes to fight the government move. None of the BJP Ministers, Members of Parliament and leaders are talking on the issue, he said.
Mr. Shivakumar said that the party will constitute booth level committees to face the coming elections to gram panchayats. Each committee will have representatives from the party’s youth, women, Seva Dal, labour, backward classes and student wings.
Social media groups will be created in the booth level for communication and to reach out to people in the grassroots level.
He said that the COVID-19 compensation package announced by the State government has not reached even 10 % of the population. The ₹20 lakh crore package announced by the Union government has helped only industrialists and not the common man.
Mr. Shivakumar said that the party is supreme and not individual members. Some leaders have an illusion that the party is thriving because of them. Such leaders should come out of such illusion and work as common party workers.
Urging workers not to indulge in acts that will embarrass the party, Mr. Shivakumar said that the workers should strive to strengthen the Congress as a cadre-based party. All units of the party are important and party workers and leaders should settle their internal differences, if any, by discussing the matter with him (Mr. Shivakumar). Unless the party is made strong, none can enjoy power, he said.
He said that the Congress takes people from all castes and religion along with it based on its secular credentials.
The KPCC president said that the Congress stood behind workers to help them during the lockdown and when COVID-19 was at its peak.
