Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)
Mangaluru, Oct 31: "When the late Indira Gandhi had visited Dharmasthala when she was the Prime Minister, she came neither by special plane, additional helicopter nor special car. Her governance was conducive to the poor and her activities are still a model to the country," said minister of food and civil supplies, U T Khader, in an apparent dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi who visited Dharmasthala on October 29 by helicopter.
He was speaking at the 'Sadbhavana Upavasa Satyagraha' protest for people awareness and communal harmony held near Thokkottu bus stand on Tuesday, October 31.
"Indira Gandhi was the best Prime Minister that the country has seen. She founded the Garibi Hatao movement and fair price shops. The present state government in her name has started Indira canteens for the poor. She nationalized buses when there were few buses, nationalized banks and brought revolutionary changes in the country," he said.
"She controlled unrests in different states of the country and got killed by her own body guard. Though the investigating agency had expressed suspicions about the body guard, she trusted him as he was with her for 15 years. The present Prime Minister like the elected representativea of America brings luxury car through plane and goes to Dharmasthala by special helicopter. Let him first change his habit," he said.
State government chief whip Ivan D'Souza said that the late Indira Gandhi had lived a life of self respect. "Let the Upavasa Satyagraha started in Thokkottu spread in the world sending noble message to the society," he said.
State INTUC president Rakesh Mally, State Minority Morcha vice-president U Kanachur Monu, M A Gafoor, Ullal block Congress president Santhosh Shetty, Mudipu block Congress President Prashant Kajava, N S Karim, Ullal Municipal Council president Hussain Kunjimonu, Basil D'Souza, Monu Malar, Mustafa Harekala, Lukman, Mamatha D S Gatti, P M Kunhi, Manohar Shetty, Sevadal's Ashraf, U B Salim, Faruk Ullal, Muralidhar, Ummar Fajir, Nazhar Shah and others were present.