Questions dual policy of his own party leaders 

Mysore/Mysuru: Stating that he was regretful for having brought the BJP to power in Karnataka, BJP MLC A.H.Vishwanath said that the State Cabinet which is scheduled to meet today (May 27), should not give nod for selling of 3,667 acres of land at Ballari worth thousands of crores of rupees to Jindal Steel company at a throwaway price.

Speaking to presspersons here yesterday, Vishwanath, current BJP MLC and a former JD(S) MLA, who was one among the JD(S) and Congress MLAs who defected to the BJP in 2019 leading to the collapse of the then JD(S)-Congress coalition Government, said that the BJP Government should not sell the land to Jindal Steel Company for any reason.

Vishwanath questioned Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa’s sudden change of stance as BSY, when as Opposition leader during the JD(S)-Congress coalition Government, had severely opposed the selling of land.

Arguing that the Government can renew the lease of land if at all it wanted, he asserted that the Government should not sell the land when the market value of the land stands at thousands of crores of rupees.

Reacting to reports on change of leadership in the State, Vishwanath said that it is left to the Party High Command to decide on the issue. 

Rs.10,000 package 

Contending that extension of the lockdown will badly affect the working class, which is already reeling under loss of jobs and income, the MLC said that the Government should announce Rs.10,000 package to each of the labour families if it decides to extend the lockdown. 

He also expressed displeasure at the way the Government is handling the COVID -19 crisis.

Referring to the ongoing tussle between political representatives and Mysuru DC, Vishwanath questioned the dual policy of his own party leaders. 

Pointing out that those leaders, who are asking the DC to visit villages now for monitoring COVID situation, had earlier prevented the DC from visiting the villages under DC’s ‘Village Stay’ initiative just before the second wave of COVID, Vishwanath questioned the motives of leaders who are now up against the DC and urging her to visit villages. He also asked people’s representatives and his fellow party leaders to stop causing differences among  the District Officials.

Arguing that the huge gatherings like the one of farmers at the vegetable wholesale market along M.G. Road is the main reason for spread of the deadly pandemic in villages, he wondered what the City Police Commissioner, the MCC Commissioner and other top officials were doing to check such large congregation of people.

Claiming that the District-level COVID-19 Task Force has no validity sans any official  notification, he questioned the propriety of leaving out the DC from the Task Force. Continuing, Vishwanath questioned whether it was right to nominate only members of a single party for COVID Care Centres (CCCs). 

Noting that the District Administration was forced to close some CCCs due to stiff opposition, he said that he cannot understand why District Minister S.T. Somashekar lauded K.R. Nagar JD(S) MLA S.R. Mahesh during  his recent visit to K.R. Nagar, when earlier, Mahesh had sarcastically  questioned the existence of the District Minister.

Pointing out that Prime Minister Modi during a video conference with DCs of COVID- affected districts last week had given all powers to the DCs to tackle COVID crisis, Vishwanth said it must be noted here that the District Minister concept is probably existent only in our State, while the DCs are the supreme authority of a District in most of the other States.