Khandre welcomes foundation stone for Anubhava Mantapa, but says it is aimed at influencing bypolls

Addressing presspersons here on Sunday, Mr. Khandre said that Mr. Yediyurappa would be laying the foundation stone for the Anubhava Mantapa in Basavakalyan town in Bidar district.

KPCC working president Eshwar Khandre and the former Minister Rajashekar Patil addressing presspersons in Bidar.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president and Bhalki MLA Eshwar Khandre urged Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to hold a meeting to review the progress of various development works in Bidar district during his visit to lay the foundation stone for the Anubhava Mantapa scheduled on Wednesday.

Addressing presspersons here on Sunday, Mr. Khandre said that Mr. Yediyurappa would be laying the foundation stone for the Anubhava Mantapa in Basavakalyan town in Bidar district. The Chief Minister should convene a review meeting either at Basavakalyan or in Bidar to discuss the problems of stubble burning.

Referring to the Anubhava Mantapa, Mr. Khandre said that a seven-member technical committee headed by scholar G.R. Channabasappa was constituted by the Basavakalyan Development Board. The committee had recommended to the then Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to construct the Anubhava Mantapa at an estimated cost of ₹ 650 crore.

In 2018, Mr. Siddaramaiah had made an allocation of ₹ 650 crore for the construction of the Anubhava Mantap at Basavakalyan and also had announced that ₹ 100 crore would be released immediately, he added.

Mr. Khandre said that a detailed project report for the Anubhava Mantapa was prepared and technical approval was given during the Congress government, and now the BJP-led government is trying to hoodwink the people by laying the foundation stone for the project.

The foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Anubhava Mantapa scheduled on Wednesday is aimed at influencing byelections to the Basavakalyan Assembly Constituency, Mr. Khandre said and added that the BJP leaders were trying to derive political mileage by organising the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Anubhava Mantapa.

Mr. Khandre, however, welcomed the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Anubhava Mantapa, the parliament of the 12th-century social reformer Basaveshwara, which had given representation to women and all sections of society. He said that the messages given by the 12th-century sharanas through their vachanas are relevant even today.