D.K. Shivakumar takes a dip in Cauvery, offers puja and carries padayatra flag in a coracle

Bengaluru: Despite an alarming spike in COVID-19 and Omicron cases in the State and threats of disruption by the Government owing to stringent weekend curfew rules, the Congress this morning launched its 11-day padayatra seeking early implementation of Mekedatu drinking water project.

The padayatra started from Sangam — the confluence of Cauvery and Arkavathi rivers — in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagara district with thousands of Congress workers and hundreds of leaders, including KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar, Leader of Opposition Siddharamaiah and veteran leader and leader of the party in Rajya Sabha M. Mallikarjuna Kharge, MP D.K. Suresh taking part. A host of MLAs, MLCs especially from the Mysuru, Mandya and Bengaluru regions attended the inaugural event.

The padayatra was a show of strength and at the same time unity by the Congress party as leaders from both Shivakumar and Siddharamaiah factions shared the stage with camaraderie. Thousands of Congress workers congregated in Kanakapura yesterday afternoon to prepare for the padayatra.

With participation from hundreds of workers, leaders and cultural groups, the principal Opposition Party in Karnataka has gone ahead with the march, as planned, unfazed by the Government’s warning of action in case of violation of COVID restrictions and rules. It now remains to be seen what action the Government will take, with a large number of people gathering in violation of rules and orders.

At the beginning of the rally, the party leaders beat the drums (nagari) signalling the start of the rally, touted to be one of the biggest in recent times. Seers from various mutts and religious leaders from various communities also took part. Before beating the drums, the leaders watered saplings that were kept on the stage, signifying the importance of water. 

The nearly 170 km padayatra — (Namma Neeru, Namma Hakku) ‘Our water, our rights’ — will pass through 15 Assembly Constituencies before culminating in Basavanagudi on Jan. 19 where a mass convention has been planned at National College Grounds. Today evening, the padayatra will stop at Doddaalanahalli, the native of D.K. Shivakumar and his brother D.K. Suresh after a 15-km journey. Tomorrow, the rally will reach Ramanagar town.

Shivakumar offers puja

Before the rally began, Shivakumar, who was among the earliest to arrive at the venue, took a dip in River Cauvery and offered puja. He also took the padayatra flag in a coracle to the Sangam before arriving on the stage. Actors Umashree, Sadhu Kokila and Duniya Vijay were part of the rally and more Kannada stars are expected to join the event. Sadhu Kokila, who is also a music director, composed the theme song for the Mekedatu rally.

Addressing the rally, Mallikarjuna Kharge said that an unnecessary controversy has been stoked by Tamil Nadu by opposing the project that is set to help both the States while Siddharamaiah outlined the work of his Government during his five year tenure regarding Mekedatu. He accused the BJP of not doing anything since the last two-and-a-half years.

On his part, Shivakumar claimed that there is no politics in the padayatra but seeking water for 2.5 crore population. All the leaders alleged that BJP was desperate to stop the rally and indicated that the padayatra will be taken to its logical end.

Shivakumar, who is also MLA from Kanakapura, hitting out at Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai for trying to “thwart” the padayatra by asking the district administration to issue prohibitory orders, he dared him to arrest them if he could.

Bommai’s jibe

Meanwhile, soon after the rally began, CM Basavaraj Bommai said in Bengaluru that Congress was suffering from a guilty conscience of failing to take up the Mekedatu project during their tenure and have taken up a political padayatra to fool people.

“Over the last three years, the Congress hasn’t discussed the project anywhere. Now, sensing that elections are close, they have organised a political padayatra. They have a guilty consciousness of not taking up the project. So, to fool people, they have started the padayatra,” he said, accusing Congress of lacking concern about irrigation projects of Karnataka.