Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister B. Janardhan Poojary has said that he will lead a procession from Kankanady Garodi to Kudroli Gokarnanatheswara Temple carrying a photo of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru on Republic Day. The procession will pass through Hampankatta to Kudroli, he said.
In a video message and in a release Mr. Poojary said that the Union Government should not have denied permission for the tableaux of Sree Narayana Guru proposed by the Kerala Government for the Republic Day parade in Delhi. All followers of Narayana Guru, irrespective of parties, caste and religion should condemn this, he said.
Mr. Poojary said that different organisations in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi will take out a procession of Sree Narayana Guru’s tableaux in taluks on January 26. The Narayana Guru Sanghas can organise special pujas and spread the message of Sree Narayana Guru on that day.
“The day should become an opportunity to prove the self esteem of Narayana Guru followers,” Mr. Poojary said, adding that it is not a protest against anybody but an event to press for the rights of the followers.
Meanwhile, addressing presspersons here on Saturday, BJP leader and chairman of Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (KEONICS) Harikrishna Bantwal said that the BJP will support the procession provided if it is held in an apolitical manner.
There should be no flag of the Congress in the procession. Instead the flag related to Sree Narayana Guru should be displayed. “Then we will support the event,” he said.
