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Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SB)

Mangaluru, Apr 20: Social activist Shashiraj Shetty Kolambe on Friday April 20 announced his decision to quit the Congress and join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Addressing a press meet here, he said, "I have rendered my service to Congress as a dedicated party worker for the past many years, without any expectation. My father was a Congressman and my family always stood loyal to Congress. But the issues regarding Yettinahole project compelled us to leave Congress," he said.

Shetty who is the Netravathi Samyuktha Rakshana Horata Samiti district convenor blamed district in-charge minister Ramanath Rai, Moodbidri MLA Abhaychandra Jain and MLC Ivan D'Souza for failing to fulfill promises on Yettinahole project. When the chief minister called for a meet, these leaders treated the activists of the Samithi in a very bad manner and also insulted the office bearers, he alleged.

He added that senior Congress leader Janardhan Poojary had voiced his dissent regarding the corruption in the project. Yet, the state government is maintaining silence over it. Hence, he as well as other Congress members decided to join BJP.

Shetty added that when he discussed about the project with MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, he received positive assurances. "The BJP activists have always participated in agitation against this project. We now understand that only by joining BJP we can fight against this ‘anti people project’ and corruption," he said.

Apart from the Yettinahole project issues, he said that the he as well as the others who joined BJP were attracted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s working style. “It is necessary that we have to join with the vision of Modi, which is changing our nation and making our country as one of the top nations,” he said.

"We will announce the programme of joining BJP very soon. I will join BJP in a programme at Mangaluru while other members will join at Farangipete or Bantwal," he said.

Durgesh Shetty, Abdul Jabbar Mittabail, Ilyas,Moideen, Basheer, and Mohamad Balavoor were present.