BENGALURU: While Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and IT-BT Minister Dr Ashwath Narayan have spoken of the Uttar Pradesh model being implemented here to deal with riots and anti-social elements, Karnataka has offered its own model, one of prosperity and progress.
On Monday, moulvis joined Hindu priests in offering bagina prayers to Kannampalli tank in district which is brimming after many years because of copious rain in the region. Local MLA Krishna Reddy (JDS) and local residents offered prayers to the tank, which supplies water to a population of around 1.5 lakh in Chintamani, one of the driest regions in the state.
The water body was constructed by the British. As the population in the town exploded over the years, another tank is being dug at Bhaktharahalli-Arasikere to supplement the water needs of the town, which is the commercial hub of the district.
Reddy said, “I have always stated that a politician should not be partial to one’s own community. Whenever bagina prayers are offered when a tank is full, it has been done with a spirit of unity and love towards all people.” The event is significant, considering that JDS is making a strong secular pitch ahead of the Assembly polls. JDS deputy leader in the Assembly Bandeppa Kashempur said, “Karnataka has been at the forefront of development and the chief minister speaking of the UP model is an insult to our people. Will they bring the bulldozer model here? One of the greatest poets Kuvempu has spoken of Karnataka being a Shantiya Thota or the Garden of Peace. This unity prayer is a demonstration of that.”
Congress MLC BK Hariprasad said, “BJP doesn’t believe in development. This is a regressive government. They have failed with the Gujarat model and now they are talking of the UP model. ”Monday’s prayers were in stark contrast to the BJP-ruled Assam, where Muslims are being accused of flood jihad.