Karnataka bandh: Seers to decide Tuesday

Hubballi: Two days after farmer leaders and other organisations called for a bandh on August 2 demanding separate statehood for North Karnataka, the seers have come into play to express their solidarity for the agitators.  All the seers from the region will converge on Tuesday (July 31) to chalk out a strategy under the banner of Uttar Karnataka Vikas Vedike. They also warned that that the time is not far away to form a separate state like Telangana if successive governments continue to neglect the region.

Addressing mediapersons in Davangere on Friday, Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swamiji of Kudal Sangama said that the government should wake up before people enter the streets and shift at least 20 departments to Suvarna Soudha by declaring Belagavi as the second capital. He urged the government to convene the legislative session in Belagavi at least once in two months to discuss the problems confronting the region and pending development projects. 

The seer had spearheaded the movement for resolving the Mahadayi water dispute and also took a delegation to the prime minister to apprise him about the early implementation of the Kalasa Banduri project. He has expressed resentment against both the Congress and BJP for not finding a solution to the issue.  “You can’t blame only one government for the neglect of North Karnataka. Though our immediate priority is not separate statehood, we will pressurise the government to speed up all pending projects in the region. All religious heads will hold a meeting on July 31 to take a decision on the bandh call”, Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swamiji said.  Meanwhile, Dingaleshwar Swamiji of Balehosur Matha in Shirahatti taluk said that all the seers from the region will express support for the bandh.