Members of the Congress in Hubballi registered their protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s perceived “apathy” towards the flood victims of the State by putting up a banner mocking his visit to Bengaluru to watch the landing of Chandrayaan-2 at the ISRO.
However it was removed within a few hours by the municipal authorities on Thursday, who said that the Congress workers had not taken permission from them for displaying the banner. The authorities also filed a police complaint against office-bearers of the Congress. The hoarding, put up at Kittur Chennamma Circle, attracted a number of eyes before it was taken down. The municipal authorities removed it before Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s convoy passed by the circle.
Rajat Ullagaddimath, district general secretary of Congress, said his right to criticise and register his protest over the “Prime Minister’s apathy” towards flood-affected Karnataka and its people has been curtailed by the ruling BJP government. He said Mr. Modi, who never bothered to even conduct an aerial survey of flood-hit areas in the State, was now coming to Bengaluru to get publicity out of an achievement made possible by the scientists of the country.
The banner had the words ‘Welcome PM Narendra Modi to watch Chandrayaan-2 landing live from ISRO Karnataka” at the top. It also had photographs of flood-hit areas and people in Karnataka, with the following words at the bottom: “Mr. Modi, you had no time to wipe the tears of flood-affected North Karnataka people”. This was also translated into Kannada. The banner had the names and photographs of both Mr. Ullagaddimath and Shwazman Muzahid, a Youth Congress leader.