As a prelude to the bandh called for separate statehood for north Karnataka on August 2, several seers from mutts in Gokak, Belagavi, Bailhongal, Hubbali and Dharwad on Tuesday assembled outside the Suvarna Vidana Soudha in Belagavi, demanding that development work be taken up in the northern districts of the State.
The seers were led Chandrashekar Shivacharya Swami of the Hukkeri Mutt and Allama Prabhu Swami of the Chikkodi Mutt. With the BJP not supporting the demand for separate statehood, the seers said the focus should be on the development of the region. Listing out the projects neglected since Independence, they said the current JDS-Congress government in the State, too, had sidelined the region with insufficient budgetary allocation.
As several organisations in north Karnataka opposed the bandh call demanding separate statehood, the BJP, whose leaders had earlier offered support to the movement, took to saying they would convince the protesters to drop the stir.
BSY slames Kumaraswamy
On Tuesday, BS Yeddyurappa, former CM and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, met the agitating seers, mutt heads and the Uttara Karnataka Horata Samiti along with several MLAs.
Speaking to reporters, Yeddyurappa accused Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of trying to divide the State.
“Kumaraswamy is sowing the seeds of casteism. After hurting the sentiments of the people, he has blamed the media. This is intolerable,” he said.
“In contrast, we are in favour of an akhanda (united) Karnataka. We will not support any demand for separation. I have come to Belagavi only to dissuade agitators, not to seek a separate State,” he said.
Reacting to the events, Kumaraswamy said Karnataka will remain one.
Addressing members of various organisations from north Karnataka, he said: “I never discriminated between any regions like south, north, coastal or Hyderabad Karnataka. I have resolved to work for the development of all regions.”