MP Shobha collects fistful of rice to support Kalladka Bhat’s schools

Mangaluru: Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP and BJP leader Shobha Karandalaje started a campaign to support the schools run by RSS strongman Dr Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat on Thursday, close on heels of an online campaign for the same cause bagging outstanding response.

The state government abruptly discontinued the financial aid provided to two schools run by Dr Bhat named Sri Rama Vidya Kendra in Kalladka and Sri Devi Vidya Kendra, Poonacha in Bantwal, without citing proper reason.

Terming the government’s move as ‘politics of revenge’, Karandalaje symbolically began the campaign from the residence of BJP South President Vedavyasa Kamath.

She said that Dakshina Kannada and Udupi district Mahila Morcha activists and women activists will donate a fistful of rice each day, which later will be given to these schools on each ‘Sankranthi’.
Taking a dig at the CM, she said that Siddaramaiah, who has come to power in name of AHINDA must visit Sri Rama Vidya Kendra where he will find that out of total 902 kids 151 are SC/ST kids and another 706 are from Other Backward Community. Only 43 students are from general categories and 2 students are from minority class. In Sri Devi Vidya Kendra, Punacha there are 50 students from SC/ST category, 7 students from minority, 63 students from other backward classes. Only 3 students are from general categories.

It was in 2004, then then Congress government started providing financial assistance to four schools in Kalaburgi, Hadagali, Narsipura, Kanakapura through temples. In 2007 BJP/JD(S) coalition government extended this to the Sri Rama Vidya Kendra, Kalladka, and Sri Devi Vidya Kendra, Poonacha through the Kollur temple authority. Initially the temple authorities provided support in kind, but soon shifted to providing aid in cash for convenience. But, the same has been stopped by the government as the temple comes under control of Endowment Department.

Till date, she said Sri Rama Vidya Kendra, Kalladka has received the grant of Rs 2.83 crore while Sri Devi Vidya Kendra, Punacha received Rs 50 Lakhs from the temple as financial assistance. She said that the schools can be subjected to probe if there are irregularities.

On the arrest of Sharath Madivala’s murder accused, Shobha said that state government should ban PFI, SDPI and KFD.

“After the Congress government withdraew the cases against PFI the attacks on Hindu leaders has increased. The state government should refer all the PFI related violence to union government for NIA investigation,” she said.