Siddaramaiah’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’
It appears that Chief Minster Siddaramaiah (in picture) will not spare any occasion to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr. Siddaramaiah, who has a penchant for hitting his political opponents and detractors with his timely remarks, picked on Mann Ki Baat, a radio programme hosted by Mr. Modi, to ridicule the PM.
It is known that Mr. Siddaramaiah was upset with Mr. Modi’s alleged denial of appointment to discuss issues pertaining to Karnataka, and was waiting for an opportunity to pay Mr. Modi back in his own coin. On Friday, Mr. Siddaramaiah met Mr. Modi along with a delegation to seek release of funds to take up drought relief works and enhance the labour budget under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme. He had also appealed to Mr. Modi to find a permanent solution to the Mahadayi river water dispute. When the media sought his reaction on the outcome of the meeting, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the delegation made all attempts to convince Mr. Modi about the plight of the people in the parched areas of Mahadayi region, and he could not fathom what lies in the ‘Mann’ of the Prime Minister.
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Swipe at
birthday bash
Varthur Prakash, Kolar MLA, (in picture) came in for sharp criticism from various quarters for celebrating his birthday in a grand manner on December 20. Though celebrating one’s birthday is a personal matter, the issue raised eyebrows as it was the affair of a people’s representative. The celebration drew flak particularly in the backdrop of severe drought in the district. A huge procession was taken out in the town and a function was organised at C. Byregowda Layout where Mr. Prakash’s residence is located. The public raised questions about the propriety of such a function when a large number of people were living under distress.
Taking a swipe at the birthday bash, Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha vice-president K. Narayana Gowda staged a dharna and alleged that “Mr. Prakash had no courtesy to express his sympathy with the people, farmers in particular, who are facing hardship owing to drought and the prices of commodities had crashed as there were no buyers after demonetisation.” State Republican Party of India youth wing president Ambarish too lashed out at the former Minister for not taking the initiative to soothe the sufferings of the people, and told voters to teach him a fitting lesson in the 2018 Assembly polls.
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Vatal against KC Valley project
Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha president Vatal Nagaraj (in picture) is against the government’s plan to supply treated sewage water to Kolar and Chickballapur districts under the Koramangala-Chellaghatta (KC) Valley project. He expressed ire at a public meeting in Kolar town last week and termed the project “unjust and unscientific”. The government should not discriminate against people within the State.
Supplying treated sewage water used by Bengalureans for the drought-prone Kolar region “is unfair”, he reaffirmed. The Kannada leader warned that pipelines for the project would be damaged if the government went ahead with its decision. He threatened that a Karnataka bandh would be organised on February 18, demanding a permanent solution to the drinking water crisis faced by people of the dry region. Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce president Sa. Ra. Govindu too extended support to the proposed stir.
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Riding the youth wing wave
Children of nearly half-a-dozen senior Congress leaders and Ministers are aspiring to head the youth Congress in the State and polls are likely to be held in February or March. Bengaluru Development Minister K.J. George’s son Rana, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s daughter Soumya Reddy, Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra’s son Santosh, Animal Husbandry Minister A. Manju’s son Mantar Gowda, and senior MLA and Apex Bank president K.N. Rajanna’s son R. Rajendra are eyeing the post.
Serving in the youth wing is considered to be a stepping stone to success in the Congress. For instance, KPCC working president and former Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, and MLC Rizwan Arshad climbed the political ladder after serving in the youth Congress. Mr. Arshad, who currently holds the post of State Youth Congress president, is expected to give up the post. The party enrolled more than 20 lakh new members during a drive between October 22 and December 11. The youth wing needs a dynamic leader to galvanise the youth workers of the State, which will go to polls in the next 18 months.
Muralidhara Khajane
Vishwa Kundapura
Nagesh Prabhu
