Udupi : K C Venugopal, AICC General Secretary and state Congress In-charge along with Dr. G Parameshwara, KPCC President and former state home minister visited Sri Krishna Matt on July 8 to seek divine blessings where after they also visited Paryaya Pejawar Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji.
They along with others were felicitated by the Swamiji during their visit.
Speaking to media persons, Venugopal informed that the chief minister would take a decision on Cabinet expansion after due consultation with the party high command.
Regarding the upcoming Assembly election, Venugopal said the party had already started groundwork and meetings were conducted in Udupi, Kodagu and Daksina Kannana districts. “We are going to strengthen the party in the state from booth level to state level. If necessary reshuffling will be done,” he said.
On selection of candidates for the election, he said that a decision on the same was yet to be taken but assured that new faces who have been waiting for a chance in the party for long might be fielded. “Congress party under Siddaramaiah’s leadership has shown excellent achievements and has fulfilled the party manifesto of the previous election. Development would be the focal point in our next election manifesto.”
Regarding the law and order situation in Karnataka, he said the same was good in the state however, in order to polarise the voters, few people were trying to create communal unrest. It is common during every election, he added.
Regarding Pejawar Swamiji’s Iftar Koota, Venugopal said the seer had given a good message by hosting the get together. Former prime minister A B Vajpayee had hosted Iftar get together during his time but the incumbent Modi never hosted any Iftar get together during three years of his regime. “Modi has given a clear message that he is a partisan. India is a secular republic. The holding of such get togethers will boost harmony and goodwill. But he has not done it”, he commented.
Speaking with media persons, Parameshwara said that they had visited the temple in order to seek blessings of Lord Sri Krishna and it was not a political gimmick. On Iftar Koota row, he too opined that the Swamiji had done an excellent job in order to maintain communal harmony. “We strongly welcome and support holding such Kootas,” he added.
On the Kalladka incident and recent developments in Bantwal, he said it was wrong to say that the police had failed to maintain law and order. “It is all a question of looking for political gain and vote bank politics in the coastal region, especially around Mangaluru. BJP leaders are trying to provoke communal unrest, which is unfortunate, he lamented.
On BJP State President B S Yeddyurappa’s latest visits to houses of Dalits in the state he said it was a political drama to lure the people and create confusion for them. “How many times had he visited Dalit houses when he was the chief minister?”, he questioned adding that it was sheer politics and the verdict would come in the next election.
Pramod Madhwaraj, District In-charge Minister; Vinay Kumar Sorake, Kaup MLA; M A Gafoor, Chairman of Minority Commission, Bengaluru; Meenakshi Madhav Bannanje, President of CMC and other Congress leaders were present.
