Hurt by the non-inclusion of Belagavi along with other cities as recommendation for establishing the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and absence of all Congress and JD(S) leaders at an all party meeting held here on Friday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders stressed on the need for filling leadership vacuum in the district to address issues of development of Belagavi.
The meeting was convened by ‘Professionals Forum Belagavi’ under the leadership of BJP leader Suresh C. Angadi, MP (Belagavi) at the Angadi Institute of Technology.
While politely airing their hurt feelings, the BJP leaders Mr. Angadi and Rajya Sabha member Prabhakar Kore said it was high time that the leaders of all political parties need to rise above party affiliations and work for the development and progress of the district. At a time when the elected representatives were expected to put up a united front to get the premier technological institute like IIT to Belagavi, the absence of Congress and JD(S) leaders was incomprehensible.
Further, he said though the political leaders from Belagavi were strongly equipped and individually powerful, no leader from the district could become Chief Minister of the State during nearly last 60 years, thanks to lack of unity and faith in collective leadership.
Later, projecting the potential of Belagavi as both an educational and industrial hub, the meeting decided to take an all party leaders delegation and convince the Chief Minister to recommend Belagavi also and allow the expert committee at the centre to take a final decision on location for IIT. Belagavi should not be denied due opportunity to place its case before the centre, which would amount to injustice and widen the gaps of regional imbalances further, Mr. Angadi said.
Among other prominent persons who spoke at the meet were Prof. K.G. Mallali, Forum President B.S. Patil, Dr.Vishwanath Patil, MLA, Anand (Vishwanath) Mamni, MLA, Duryodhan Ihole, MLA, Arun Shahpur, MLC, BJP district President Eranna Kadadi, Rajeev Doddannavar of Bharatesh Education Trust and educationist Dr. H.B. Rajashekhar.
