Vokkaliga leaders — political and religious — who spoke at the mammoth gathering on the occasion of Guruvandana (paying obeisance) to Adichunchanagiri Math seer Balagangadharanatha Swami, organised by the Vokkaligara Sangha, have demanded that both the Union and State governments permit diversion of Nethravati river for the benefit of people in Davangere, Tumkur, Chickballapur, Kolar, Ramanagaram, Bangalore rural and urban districts.
The event was attended by Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda; External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna; the former Chief Minister and MP H.D. Kumaraswamy; the former Union Minister and actor Ambareesh; writer D. Javare Gowda; Home and Transport Minister R. Ashok; D.B. Chandre Gowda, MP; N. Chaluvaraya Swamy, MP; the former KPCC working president and MLA D.K. Shivakumar; and Kumara Chandrasekharanatha Swamiji and Nanjavadhootha Swamiji and many Vokkaliga legislators.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Kumaraswamy raised the demand for diversion of Nethravati waters to solve the drinking water needs and irrigation requirement of farmers in the southern districts of the State, which have Vokkaliga concentration.
Mr. Kumaraswamy said that when members of a technical committee on the issue sought support of D. Veerendra Heggade, he had told them that he was not opposed to diversion of the river, provided there was no damage to the ecology and environment in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
Sri Balagangadharanatha Swamiji, Sri Nanjavadhootha Swamiji and Mr. Ashok strongly advocated for diverting the Nethravati to these districts, where the water table had gone down to more than 1,000 feet.
Mr. Ashok said that the people had forgotten Sir M. Visvesvaraya, who built K.R. Sagar and Kempe Gowda, who built Bangalore.
He also wanted the Chief Minister to declare Kempegowda jayanthi as an official function.
Mr. Shivakumar said Adichunchanagiri Math was running 391 educational institutions across the State. Vokkaligas, he said, had given their lands for developing Bangalore.
Mr. Chaluvaraya Swamy said that the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda could not attend the function as he was unwell, but had sent his respects to the swamiji.
Replying to the felicitation, Balagangadharanatha Swamiji and Nanjavadhootha Swamij said that no one could antagonise Vokkaligas. The latter urged the Centre to confer Padmabhushan on the Adichunchanagiri Math seer.
