BENGALURU: Buoyed by the response to its 10-day, 180-km Ballari Chalo padayatra, and following the instructions of the central BJP leadership, the Karnataka BJP has planned a statewide padayatra across all 224 Assembly constituencies from September 15 to 20, opposing the state Cabinet’s decision to restrict the singing of Vande Mataram to two stanzas.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra has directed the party’s district and taluk units to organise the protests and ensure the participation of party leaders and workers. The campaign is aimed at mounting pressure on the Congress government to withdraw its decision and allow the singing of all six stanzas of Vande Mataram, as per the Centre’s directive.
Short padayatras of around 500 metres to 1km will be held towards Deputy Commissioner’s offices in district headquarters and Tahsildar offices in taluk headquarters. Memoranda will subsequently be submitted to the authorities, urging the government to revoke the Cabinet decision.
MLAs, MPs, candidates who contested and lost the 2023 Assembly elections, and district and taluk-level office-bearers are expected to participate in the protests.
The BJP has stepped up its agitation against the Congress government after concluding the Ballari Chalo padayatra from Lingasugur in Raichur district to Ballari. The party had used the march to target the government over alleged irregularities in the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation involving former minister B Nagendra and other issues.
With the latest agitation, the BJP is seeking to expand its mobilisation from Ballari to all parts of the state, with Vande Mataram becoming the immediate flashpoint between the ruling Congress and Opposition.