BELAGAVI: At least 5,000 Congress workers gathered in Belagavi on Tuesday to draw the attention of the Central and the state governments towards the grim situation in flood-affected areas, and demanded immediate relief.
The protest turned into a big affair as all state-level Congress leaders arrived in the city with their supporters. I started with a mega rally from Congress Bhavan to Rani Channamma Circle via Court Road.
Many Congress leaders took this opportunity to bash the BJP at the state and the Centre.
KPCC executive president Ishwar Khandre said, “A loss of Rs 1 lakh crore has been incurred, but the state BJP assessed a loss of only Rs 38,000 crore. It’s unfortunate that BJP leaders, who spent several crores for horse-trading, are not ready to spend a single rupee for flood victims. PM Modi is ready to give a loan to Russia, but isn’t ready to help Karnataka during this crucial time,” he said.
Former minister H K Patil said, “The Centre should have declared it a national calamity. In fact, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya had insulted the flood-affected families by saying there is no need for any relief for Belagavi.”
Belagavi Rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar said many families have lost everything in the floods. “I am begging the government to help these families. The people of Karnataka have been betrayed. The BJP has money to put up disgruntled MLAs in five-star hotels, but no money to help flood victims,” she said.
Senior Congress leaders Dinesh Gundu Rao, S R Patil, M B Patil, Prakash Hukkeri, Veena Kashampur, M C Mahadeppa, C M Ibrahim also spoke at the rally.
MLA, flood victims cover 150km on foot in protest
“The state is showing step-motherly treatment towards North Karnataka. If this continues, the protest will be intensified till justice is served,” said Jamkhandi MLA Anand Nyamgouda. The Congress leader held a padayatra on Saturday from his constituency to Belagavi, a distance of nearly 150km. Five hundred people followed him, most from flood-hit villages.
The agitators raised slogans against the BJP government, and reached Belagavi on Tuesday to take part in the protest. Speaking to TNIE, the MLA said, “We are not politicising the flood issue, instead, we are trying to join hands with the state to take up relief work. Yediyurappa has broken all his promises,” he said.