BENGALURU: Enthused by the party’s good performance in the recent elections, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar says no one can stop the party from coming to power in the state and adds that the BJP is trying to create confusion about differences between Congress leaders. He is now busy drumming up support for a 10-day padayatra from January 9, to demand implementation of the Mekedatu drinking water and balancing reservoir project.
Why the Mekedatu padayatra now?
Everything has been completed for taking up the Mekedatu project and the DPR (detailed project report) has been accepted. The Central Government has to give Environmental Clearance. Why are they delaying it, now that Tamil Nadu elections are over and there is no question of pleasing them? The entire country is looking at Bengaluru, which is growing at a rapid pace, and we are facing a drinking water shortage. Why should you waste time? The project cost was Rs 5,000 crore when Siddaramaiah was the CM, and when I (as Water Resources Minister) gave the proposal, it went up to Rs 9,000 crore. If you delay more, it will go up to Rs 20,000 crore. The Centre should immediately give permission to start the work. There is also a Supreme Court judgment that you need not take an NoC (No Objection Certificate) from any of the states for a drinking water project. You need political will to start the project.
Your critics say this is an effort to consolidate your hold in the region?
We are least bothered about what our opponents are saying. We are a political party with a history of struggle and fighting for the cause of people. That is in our blood.
How do you look at the results of Urban Local Bodies polls and other elections?
The results indicate that there should be a change in Karnataka for the betterment and progress of the state as the ‘double-engine’ governments have failed on all fronts in Karnataka. The Congress will be the alternative. They have failed miserably in all constituencies, including the ones represented by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and other senior leaders.
How do you look at 2022 in terms of preparing the party for assembly polls next year?
We had declared 2021 as a year of organisation, a year of struggle, a year of the voice of people and fighting for the cause of people. We will continue to do that more aggressively in 2022 and convince the people of Karnataka.
Why is Congress opposing the government’s plans to free temples from government control?
They are changing a system that has been in place for over a 100 years. Temples are administered by the government, they are the treasure of the state and people. We will not allow them to hand over temples to BJP workers. The government took over the temples to give freedom to people of all sections as only upper caste people were controlling them. Now, they are going back to that. There is a lot of jewellery and properties with temples.
The government is firm on going ahead with the Anti-Conversion Law.
We will have a Congress government in the next one-and-half year, we will roll it back.
The BJP says there are differences between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah?
They are just trying to create it. I don’t have any differences with anyone. They know that united we fight, no one can stop us. I am not in the race for anything. I am in the race only to bring the Congress party to power in the state. First, we want to come to power, that’s all.